Fujifilm Kicks Off Operations in Europe
Fujifilm has begun operations at its new cell culture media manufacturing facility located in Tilburg, Netherlands to meet an increasing global demand for biopharmaceuticals.
Funded through investment in an existing Fujifilm European facility, the new facility manufactures products of Fujifilm Irvine Scientific.
The facility provides life science manufacturing and joins locations in the U.S. and Japan to enable increased production capacity of cell culture media products, acting as a hub for both European and global markets. The strategic investment is expected to enhance the Company’s support to customers with their drug discovery and pharmaceutical manufacturing operations. Additionally, the facility’s location in central Europe positions it as a source of local supply for increased efficiency and cost-savings in shipping, as well as securing the supply chain.
The new cell culture media facility manufactures dry powder media, liquid media, buffers and Water for Injection (WFI) in accordance with the same Quality System, raw materials, and expertise used in the Company’s cGMP-compliant facilities in the U.S. and Japan. Initially, it is expected to increase the Company’s production capacity with approx. 3,20,000 kg/year of dry powder media and approx. 4,70,000 L/year of liquids with the physical capacity to expand rapidly.
“The transformation of the photographic film plant in Tilburg into a manufacturing facility for Life Sciences is a symbol of our transition from our core business of photographic film to healthcare,” said Teiichi Goto, president and CEO of Fujifilm Corporation. “Fujifilm will expand its Life Sciences business by providing high-quality and high-function cell culture media and global production capabilities, while promoting the pharmaceutical industry and the industrialisation of cell therapies.”
Drawing on the Fujifilm Sustainability Value Plan 2030 for sustainable operations, the new facility is reportedly designed with strategies that work towards a CO2-neutral status using wind energy for the production process. The company also plans to introduce an electric boiler powered by wind energy-derived electricity capable of generating steam in order to discontinue the use of natural gas at new facility.