FUJIFILM Biotechnologies – a global world leader in biologics, vaccines and advanced therapies – has significantly expanded its Teesside site.
FUJIFILM Biotechnologies – a global world leader in biologics, vaccines and advanced therapies – has significantly expanded its Teesside site.
The £400m investment by parent company FUJIFILM Corporation, Japan, includes the opening of the largest single-use1 biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) facility in the UK2, located at the existing FUJIFILM Biotechnologies site.
The UK expansion is the newest addition to FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ global manufacturing network and introduces 2,000 L and 5,000 L single-use bioreactors with a total capacity up to 19,000 L to provide small- and mid-scale antibody manufacturing.
It also offers the flexibility to expand in support of customer programmes as needed. The 110,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility will be operational in the first half of 2026.
Meanwhile, the opening of the Bioprocess Innovation Centre UK (BIC UK), delivers a state-of-the-art laboratory for high-throughput and continuous process development, and will operate as a global centre of excellence for biomanufacturing innovation and process development.
The 102,200 sq ft facility doubles the campus’ existing lab footprint, complementing the sites’ expanded Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing capabilities.
A spokesperson says the investments will boost the supply chain agility of the company’s global manufacturing network and expand its capacity to develop and produce complex medicines for conditions including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and rare disorders for world-leading biopharmaceutical companies.
The expanded UK operations also closely align with Fujifilm’s biomanufacturing facility in Toyama, Japan, boosting technology transfer capabilities.
“Over the past decade, Fujifilm has invested more than £5 billion globally to grow our CDMO business – demonstrating our steadfast commitment to increasing our production capacity and capabilities to meet the growing demand for innovative medicines and vaccines for patients around the globe,” said chairman Toshihisa Iida,
“The opening of our UK expansion, will enable us to support our partners’ products from the process development stage to early clinical manufacturing – ranging from low-volume therapies for ultra-rare diseases to commercial biologics all from one site.”
“This site provides pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners with enhanced scalability, speed to market, and cross-site technology transfer, helping to ensure reliable medicine supply for patients in the UK and globally,” said Lars Petersen, president and chief executive officer, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies.
Jonathan Haigh, senior vice president and head of the UK site, said: “Thank you to our 960+ employees and community partners for their dedication in strengthening the UK life sciences community and cementing the North East as one of Britain’s – and Europe’s – leading biomanufacturing hubs.
“Through the FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ academic partnerships with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester, and the University of York, we are building talent in STEM and advanced manufacturing, supporting the life sciences ecosystem, and nurturing the next generation of Life Science specialists to make a difference.”
In keeping with the company’s sustainability goals, the new manufacturing building will be fully electrified for maximum renewable energy use in the future3.
The UK site has a 25-year history of clinical and commercial CDMO experience, delivering a broad range of capabilities ranging from process development to current GMP manufacturing.
It employs more than 960 employees – part of a global workforce of 5,000. Overall, FUJIFILM Corporation employs 1,700 people in the UK, and operates across the fields of photography, print and ink, life sciences and diagnostic imaging – as a key partner and provider to the National Health Service (NHS).
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance added: “We want to put the full weight of the UK’s science and research expertise behind efforts to treat and beat diseases.
“Fujifilm’s expansion in Teesside will help us do exactly that – making the North East the focal point of work to deliver cutting edge therapies which will transform outcomes for patients all over the world.”
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Single-use technology in manufacturing which uses disposable, pre-sterilized polymer-based equipment
Based on BDO bioTRAK(R) database as of Oct. 2024 which includes current and planned capacity expansions through 2027.
In this manufacturing building, all production processes that previously used gas as fuel have been electrified. In addition, the site has set a target to run on 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
