Japan-headquartered Fujifilm Corporation has announced an investment of $1.2 billion in its large-scale cell culture contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) business to further expand the planned Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies end-to-end bio-manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, bringing the total investment in the facility to over $3.2 billion.

The expansion adds significant large-scale production capacity to Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ global network through its United States (US) and Europe manufacturing hubs. The investment will generate an additional 680 jobs by 2031, also bringing the total number of new, highly skilled local jobs to 1400 in Holly Springs.

The new investment in Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ large-scale cell culture facility in Holly Springs will add 8 x 20,000 liters (L) mammalian cell culture bioreactors by 2028, to the already planned 8 x 20,000 L for bulk drug substance as part of the initial investment. This new facility allows for flexibility to expand with additional bioreactors to accommodate new projects to meet the emerging needs of partners, and upon completion will make the site one of the largest cell culture biopharmaceutical CDMO facilities in North America.

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $4.7 billion.