Fujifilm opens new multi-million pound facility in Teesside
Fujifilm Biotechnologiesβ newly expanded site in Billingham marks a significant investment in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and innovation, backed by Β£400 million from Japanβs Fujifilm Corporation.
The expansion includes the launch of the largest single-use biopharmaceutical CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organisation) facility in the UK.
Toshihisa Iida, director and corporate vice president at Fujifilm Corporation, said: “Over the past decade, Fujifilm has invested more than Β£5 billion globally to grow our CDMO business β 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.
“The opening of our UK expansion will enable us to support our partnersβ products from the process development stage to early clinical manufacturing β ranging from low-volume therapies for ultra-rare diseases to commercial biologics, all from one site.”
The new 110,000 sq ft manufacturing facility will be operational in the first half of 2026.
It is equipped with 2,000L and 5,000L single-use bioreactors and offers up to 19,000L of production capacity for small- and mid-scale antibody manufacturing.
The facility is designed to scale further as needed.
Alongside the manufacturing site is the new Bioprocess Innovation Centre UK (BIC UK), a state-of-the-art laboratory focused on high-throughput and continuous process development.
This over 102,200 sq ft centre doubles the existing lab space on campus and will operate as a global centre of excellence for biomanufacturing innovation and process development.
The investment is intended to improve manufacturing agility across Fujifilmβs network.
The expanded site will focus on the development and production of complex medicines for conditions including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and rare disorders.
A modular manufacturing approach, branded as kojoXTM, will ensure technology and process harmonisation with Fujifilmβs facility in Toyama, Japan.
Lars Petersen, president and CEO of Fujifilm Biotechnologies, said: “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.”
The official opening ceremony was attended by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, Health Innovation Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, Stockton North MP Chris McDonald, and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.
Representatives from industry groups, academic institutions, and the Japanese Embassy in the UK were also present.
Jonathan Haigh, senior vice president and head of the UK site at Fujifilm Biotechnologies, praised the contributions of the companyβs workforce, which includes more than 960 employees.
He said: “Thank you to our 960 plus employees and community partners for their dedication in strengthening the UK life sciences community and cementing the North East as one of Britainβs β and Europeβs β leading biomanufacturing hubs.”
Fujifilm has formed academic partnerships with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester, and the University of York to develop talent in STEM and life sciences.
Chris McDonald, MP for Stockton North, added: “Fujifilmβs Β£400 million investment in Billingham is a huge vote of confidence in our area and in the world-class talent we have here on Teesside.”
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “This is an enormous milestone for this incredible investment and itβs great to see Fujifilmβs new facility finally come together after years of hard work.
“This is exactly the kind of long-term, high-value investment weβve been backing from day one, and Fujifilmβs decision to keep investing here shows real confidence in Teesside and in our workforce.
“These are high-quality jobs being created in a hugely important sector, and they prove beyond doubt that we have the skills, talent, and expertise needed to deliver world-leading work right here in Teesside.”