FUJIFILM Biotechnologies expands UK biomanufacturing with £400m Teesside investment
Published: 31 Mar 2026
Author: Precedence Research
FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, a world-leading contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) for biologic, vaccine, and advanced therapies, celebrated the grand opening of its expanding site. The significantly expanded to increase localised capacity for medicines and vaccines.
Fujifilm has invested more than £5 billion globally to grow our CDMO business commitment to increasing our production capacity and capabilities to meet the growing demand for innovative medicines and vaccines for patients around the globe.
The UK expansion represents the newest addition to FUJIFILM Biotechnologies' global manufacturing network and introduces single-use bioreactors with a total capacity up to 19,000 L to provide small- and mid-scale antibody manufacturing, with the flexibility to expand to support customer programmes as needed.
According to Towards Healthcare, the Biotechnology Product Manufacturing Market is projected to experience significant growth, with estimates suggesting the market size will increase from USD 10.39 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 32.61 billion by 2035, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.55% from 2026 to 2035. Growth of the Biotechnology Product Manufacturing Market is driven by rising demand for biologics, increasing investments in biopharmaceutical production, advancements in manufacturing technologies, expanding contract manufacturing, regulatory support, and the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, boosting the need for innovative therapeutics globally.
Global Harmonisation Streamline Technology
The site utilises the kojoX modular approach to harmonise technology across a global CDMO network. This allows for rapid technology transfer between the UK and global facilities. Creating a framework where our partner can easily scale up and out from process development through clinical and commercial.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves “This investment is a vote of confidence in the UK as one of the best places in the world to develop and manufacture cutting-edge medicines and vaccines.”
Senior vice president, head of UK Site, Jonathan Haigh, said through FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ academic partnerships. We are building talent in STEM and advanced manufacturing, supporting the life sciences ecosystem, and nurturing the next generation of Life Science specialists to make a difference.
Scaling Strategies Enhance Lifecycle Management
An integrated ecosystem offers scale-out through multi-lane architectures and scale-on by increasing productivity strategies allow Fujifilm Biotechnologies to respond to fluctuating clinical requirements or niche commercial demands without the risk of capacity bottlenecks.
Approach of using the same vessels for various process types for a consistent fed batch can reduce the need for engineering changes as molecules mature in a controlled environment to maintain product quality and efficiency.
A recent report by Towards Healthcare highlights that the Biotechnology Product Manufacturing Market is expanding steadily, supported by increasing biologics demand, technological advancements, and rising investments, with growing adoption of advanced manufacturing processes enhancing efficiency, scalability, and global production capabilities across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.