Earlier today, giant contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) FUJIFILM Biotechnologies

opened

its expanded facilities in Teesside, England. The £400 million (US$546 million) investment adds significant manufacturing and research capacity to the site and is now one of the largest CDMO facilities in the UK.

“FUJIFILM’s investment in Teesside is part of our long-term commitment to strengthen the UK’s biomanufacturing capabilities,” commented a FUJIFILM spokesperson to

BioProcess Insider.

“This £400 million expansion is a significant milestone, and we will continue to review opportunities to grow our capacity, enhance our technology, and deepen our presence in the region.”

The site expansion boasts significant upgrades, including 2000 L and 5000 L single-use bioreactors for small- and mid-scale manufacturing, accompanied by the Bioprocess Innovation Center UK for process development. The over 100,000 square-foot laboratory doubles the current campus size of the Teesside facility.

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“Our new process development labs are situated on the same campus as our single-use manufacturing facility,” the spokesperson told us. “Our customers can come in with DNA, and then we can develop a cell line.” From there, customers can progress from small-scale manufacturing all the way up to 5000 L at the same site.

The new additions bring the size of the Teesside site to about 1.6 million square feet, supported by a workforce of more than 960 employees. Its antibody manufacturing arm is set to be operational within the first quarter of 2026 and will aim to use renewable energy in alignment with FUJIFILM’s

sustainability goals

.

The facility’s opening ceremony featured several prominent guests, including His Royal Highness Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh and Zubir Ahmed, parliamentary under-secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety. The UK’s operations are designed to closely align with FUJIFILM’s Toyama facility, based in Japan.

“This investment in Teesside shows that Britain is one of the most attractive places in the world for life sciences and innovation, and reflects the enduring partnership we have with Japan,” said Ahmed at the public ceremony.

FUJIFILM’s recent expansions in the UK,

Denmark

, and

the US

have all supported the company’s continued efforts for consolidated global manufacturing. The spokesperson emphasized that the firm has invested more than £5 billion over the past decade toward scaling its global biopharmaceutical CDMO network.