At a Glance
- Company: FUJIFILM Biotechnologies
- Location: Teesside, North East England, UK
- Deal value: £400m investment; 110,000 sq ft manufacturing; 102,200 sq ft labs
- Focus area: Single‑use bioreactors (19,000L capacity); process development
- Next steps: Manufacturing operational H1 2026; global kojoX network integration
What happened?
FUJIFILM Biotechnologies celebrated the grand opening of its expanded Teesside site on 11 February 2026, funded by a £400m investment from FUJIFILM Corporation. The expansion includes the UK’s largest single‑use biopharma CDMO facility (110,000 sq ft, 19,000L capacity) and Bioprocess Innovation Centre UK (BIC UK, 102,200 sq ft labs).
Why does it matter?
The site addresses biologics capacity shortages, offering end‑to‑end services for mAbs, vaccines and advanced therapies amid oncology and neurodegenerative demand. Single‑use tech and SymphonX downstream skid enable flexible fed‑batch/continuous processing.
Who’s behind it?
FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, with 25 years UK CDMO experience, integrates the site into its kojoX global network (Toyama, Japan) for seamless tech transfer. CEO Lars Petersen highlighted enhanced scalability and supply reliability.
How was it achieved?
New 2,000L/5,000L single‑use bioreactors support small/mid‑scale antibody manufacturing; BIC UK doubles lab space for high‑throughput/continuous development as a global excellence centre. Fully electrified building maximises renewables.
What’s next?
Manufacturing online H1 2026; expand kojoX for client flexibility from PD to commercial; STEM talent partnerships with UK universities.
What are people saying?
Lars Petersen: “Partners… enhanced scalability, speed to market… reliable medicine supply.” BIA MD Jane Wall: “Confidence… North East as leading biomanufacturing hub.”