Samba, 4th Plant in Songdo... Super Plant 1.5 Times Larger Than Sangam World Cup (Comprehensive)

The World's Largest Scale... From Cell Line Development to Finished Product Manufacturing
Securing 620,000ℓ Upon Completion... Capturing 30% of the Global CMO Market

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Samsung Biologics will establish its fourth biopharmaceutical production plant in Songdo, Incheon in 2023. It will be the largest single plant in the world. Once Plant 4 begins operation, Samsung Biologics will solidify its position as the world’s number one bio production company, capturing about 30% of the global contract manufacturing organization (CMO) market.

Kim Tae-han, CEO of Samsung Biologics, held an online press conference on the 11th and stated, "We will establish Plant 4 with a capacity of 256,000 liters, the largest single plant in the world," adding, "We plan to break the record of Plant 3, which previously held the title of the largest single plant." Kim also said, "The global biopharmaceutical product market is growing at more than 8% annually. To proactively respond to this rapidly growing market, we decided to expand with Plant 4."

◆The Largest Single Plant in the World = Scheduled for completion in 2023, Plant 4 is a so-called 'super plant.' Expected to have a production capacity of 256,000 liters, it is anticipated to surpass the 'world’s largest capacity' title currently held by Samsung Biologics’ Plant 3. Kim emphasized, "Once Plant 4 starts operation, a total production base of 620,000 liters will be completed in Songdo Complex 1," adding, "This will account for about 30% of the global CMO production capacity." Previously, Samsung Biologics began with Plant 1 in 2012 with a capacity of 30,000 liters, followed by Plant 2 (154,000 liters) in 2015, and Plant 3 (180,000 liters) in 2017.

The total floor area of Plant 4 will be approximately 238,000 square meters (about 72,000 pyeong), which is 1.5 times the size of Seoul’s Sangam World Cup Stadium. The investment amount is 1.74 trillion KRW, the largest ever. This is more than double the investment cost of Plant 3 (850 billion KRW) and nearly matches Samsung Biologics’ cumulative investment of 2.1 trillion KRW over the past nine years. Kim explained, "Along with the construction of Plant 4, we plan to secure an additional site of 100,000 pyeong for Songdo Complex 2 and an open innovation research and development (R&D) center," adding, "Once the site for Complex 2 is secured, the total investment will exceed 2 trillion KRW."

◆Production Induction of 5.6 Trillion KRW and Employment Creation of 27,000 People = Samsung Biologics is confident that Plant 4 will change the paradigm of the bio industry not only in scale but also in function. The world’s most efficient eco-friendly biopharmaceutical plant will be built with cutting-edge equipment and automation technology, supporting everything from cell line development to final product manufacturing, thereby shortening production time and enhancing price competitiveness.

Kim said, "In the increasingly fierce speed competition in the biopharmaceutical market, Plant 4 will be a 'super plant' capable of providing 'one-stop service' from cell line development to finished product manufacturing," adding, "This marks a turning point in the industry paradigm, shifting from biopharmaceutical companies developing and producing new drugs themselves to a market centered on CMO and contract development organization (CDO) services."

With the construction of Plant 4, Samsung Biologics plans to hire about 1,800 additional employees and approximately 6,400 separate construction workers. This is expected to generate a production inducement effect of about 5.6 trillion KRW and create approximately 27,000 jobs.

Kim stated, "We expect to create a virtuous cycle in the bio industry ecosystem, including raw materials, auxiliary materials, and parts for biopharmaceuticals, contributing to national economic revitalization and job creation," adding, "Through the construction of Plant 4, we will secure a super-gap competitiveness in the biopharmaceutical market and strive to establish the bio industry as a new growth engine for South Korea."