FujiFilm is going to build a factory in Tilburg to serve the pharmaceutical industry

FujiFilm Manufacturing Europe is adding a third factory in Tilburg. The Japanese company is building a factory for the development and production of so-called cell culture media for the biopharmaceutical industry.

8 July 2019

FujiFilm Manufacturing Europe is adding a third factory in Tilburg. The Japanese company is building a factory for the development and production of so-called cell culture media for the biopharmaceutical industry. These are powders and liquids in which cells can be soaked for clinical testing and cell therapy.

FujiFilm is adding a third factory in Tilburg.

The company already has such factories in the United States and Japan. This new factory will primarily serve the European market. An existing factory in Tilburg will completely be converted for this purpose. Tilburg is already one of the largest Fujifilm production locations outside of Japan. Fuji’s choice for Tilburg for its new cell culture factory is a boost for the factory in Brabant. This factory has seen photo roll production disappear in recent decades and is now struggling as a producer of offset plates for the graphic industry with a very difficult market. The site in Tilburg also makes high-quality color photo paper, that achieves good results.

CEO Peter Struik of Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe is happy with the decision. “We are going to make a product with a vision for the future,” he says with pride about the upcoming cell culture media factory. ‘The biopharmaceutical market is growing at a high speed. We must be able to meet European, but also global demand. The cell culture media will be delivered to the pharmaceutical industry, which is constantly looking for new testing methods to test vaccines and for the development of new cell therapies. ‘

“The company’s current capacity is >1,000,000 Kg/year of dry powder, but it is imperative that we exceed production requirements of customers worldwide, as well as meet our European customer demand for regional support,” said Yutaka Yamaguchi, CEO, FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific. “Building a third, world-class cGMP manufacturing facility to serve as a European hub will enable us to better provide customers with rapid, reliable supply of products.”

Work on the new manufacturing site has begun and it is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2021.

Source: FD & Business Wire