From Photo Film Maker To Biopharma Giant
•February 6, 2026
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Why It Matters
The facility bolsters U.S. biologics capacity, narrowing supply gaps for high‑demand therapies and cementing Fujifilm’s transformation into a leading contract manufacturing organization.
Key Takeaways
- •$3.2B invested in North Carolina biomanufacturing hub.
- •Facility will produce ~50M doses annually by 2028.
- •Modular KojoX design cut construction time over 70%.
- •Phase I capacity sold out; Phase II negotiations underway.
- •Fujifilm’s $8B biopharma spend diversifies beyond film.
Pulse Analysis
Fujifilm’s pivot from analog imaging to biopharma illustrates how legacy manufacturers can leverage core competencies—precision engineering, large‑scale production, and quality control—to enter high‑growth sectors. After the early‑2000s decline in film demand, the company earmarked billions for healthcare, acquiring sites and building a global network that now spans Europe, Asia, and North America. This strategic reallocation not only safeguards revenue streams but also aligns Fujifilm with the escalating demand for biologics, a market projected to exceed $600 billion by 2030.
The Holly Springs campus exemplifies Fujifilm’s modular manufacturing philosophy. Using the KojoX platform, the company replicated a Danish‑style layout with standardized equipment, enabling a 70 percent reduction in design and construction timelines. Phase I’s eight 20,000‑liter bioreactors already support drug‑substance and drug‑product operations for clients like Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron, while Phase II, slated for 2028, will double capacity to meet an estimated 50 million dose output. This scalability, combined with proximity to major biotech hubs, positions Fujifilm as a fast‑track partner for firms seeking to accelerate clinical and commercial launches.
Industry observers view Fujifilm’s expansion as a bellwether for contract manufacturing evolution. Modular, near‑identical facilities across continents reduce capital risk and streamline regulatory approvals, offering biotech companies a more agile path to market. As the U.S. grapples with biologics supply constraints, Fujifilm’s investment adds critical redundancy and may prompt rivals to adopt similar modular strategies. With its substantial $8 billion biopharma portfolio, Fujifilm is poised to influence both the economics and geography of biologics production for years to come.
From Photo Film Maker To Biopharma Giant
February 6, 2026 · Katie Kuehner‑Hebert
The future looks bright for pharmaceutical manufacturing in the U.S., according to Lars Petersen, president and CEO of Fujifilm Biotechnologies.
The global company, based in Denmark, opened one of the largest commercial‑scale biopharma manufacturing facilities in the U.S. this past September. The new facility, situated on nearly 150 acres in Holly Springs, North Carolina, will make biologic medicines for complex diseases on behalf of customers such as Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron.
Fujifilm Biotechnologies is a subsidiary of Fujifilm, yes—the 90‑year‑old photo‑film company. In 2011, Fujifilm began investing in biopharma manufacturing, and today, with $8 billion‑plus investments, it is the future of Fujifilm.
Petersen spoke with Chief Executive to share the company’s journey and what’s next.
Why is biopharma manufacturing the future of Fujifilm?
The early 2000s saw the decline in demand for photo film—Fujifilm’s core business. At this crossroads, Fujifilm successfully transitioned its competencies in manufacturing and technological innovation into new emerging growth areas, including healthcare.
In 2011, Fujifilm entered biopharma manufacturing with the acquisition of a UK and U.S. site, and since then has subsequently invested $8 billion through strategic M&A and expansions to grow into a global manufacturing network supporting multiple scales and modalities.
Fujifilm’s strategic biopharmaceutical focus today is principally on supporting partners in biologics production and drug‑delivery innovations that address unmet medical needs, with a current emphasis on hard‑to‑cure cancers, infectious diseases and neurological diseases.
Biopharma manufacturing is the future for Fujifilm because the company “exists to make a meaningful difference in the industry—helping bridge the supply gap to ensure patients in need get the medicines they need.” Through its manufacturing hubs, strategically located near clients and patients, Fujifilm can transform the industry and support the continued supply of medicines.
You recently opened one of the largest biopharma commercial‑scale manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Tell us about it.
“Fujifilm has invested more than $3.2 billion in North Carolina to build the largest end‑to‑end cell‑culture biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing site in North America. The first phase will include eight × 20,000‑liter mammalian cell‑culture bioreactors to encompass drug‑product and drug‑substance manufacturing, with finished goods to come online this year.
The second phase will double capacity with an additional eight × 20,000 L bioreactors, for a total of 16. This will allow us to make about 50 million doses per year from this site once fully operational in 2028. It is a major step toward helping our partners deliver critical therapies to millions of patients here in the U.S. and around the world.”
Any future plans to expand in the U.S.—whether that’s adding more pharma and biotech customers or more manufacturing facilities? How is the biopharma industry’s reception to your new facility?
“We haven’t announced any plans for further U.S. expansion at this time. We have sold out of our Phase I capacity at our Holly Springs site and have begun customer negotiations for Phase II, which will begin in 2028. Our first publicly announced customer for Phase II is argenx.”
Describe your modular facility design approach which enables you to manufacture at a much faster pace.
“We’ve reimagined how medicines are made through our KojoX platform. ‘Kojo’ is a Japanese word with a dual meaning of factory and improvement. To us, KojoX is an approach, philosophy and mindset—we’ve pioneered this modular approach to building manufacturing facilities and operating them. KojoX entails setting up modular biomanufacturing campuses with standardized equipment, processes and procedures, enabling us to build and manufacture medicines at a much faster pace.
Our modular facilities across continents offer scale, flexibility and speed. As an example, our Holly Springs site is a near‑replica of our existing site in Denmark, and by building these modular facilities in parallel, using the same equipment, layouts and processes, we’ve successfully reduced design time at Holly Springs by more than 70 percent.”
About the author
Katie Kuehner‑Hebert has more than two decades of experience writing about corporate, financial and industry‑specific issues. She is based in Running Springs, California.
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