[Bio Japan] Fujifilm President Vows to Fill Japan's Bio Industry 'Manufacturing Gap'

At Bio Japan 2025 Keynote Speech
Proposing Strategies to Strengthen Japan's Bio Ecosystem

"Based on world-class production capabilities, we will complete a virtuous cycle ecosystem for Japan's bio industry."

Teiichi Goto, President of Fujifilm Holdings, is speaking at the keynote speech of 'Bio Japan 2025,' Asia's largest biopharmaceutical exhibition, held on the 8th at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center in Japan. Photo by Jeong Donghoon

Teiichi Goto, President of Fujifilm Holdings, made this statement during his keynote speech at 'Bio Japan 2025,' Asia's largest biopharmaceutical exhibition, held on the 8th at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center in Japan. Amid the decline of its camera film business, Fujifilm has transformed its corporate structure by investing in the bio industry since the late 2000s. By acquiring CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) businesses from companies such as Merck in the United States and Biogen, Fujifilm has become one of the top five global companies in production capacity. After 2028, the company is expected to secure a production capacity of 750,000 liters, positioning itself as one of the global top three CDMO companies alongside Samsung Biologics and Lonza.

On this day, President Goto identified the structural problem of Japan's bio industry as a "manufacturing gap." Last year, Japan recorded a biopharmaceutical trade deficit of 1.7 trillion yen (approximately 15.9222 trillion won), which he attributed to the country's heavy reliance on imports for most biopharmaceuticals. Goto pointed out, "While the government has supported new drug development, fostering the production sector has been relatively insufficient," adding, "Without a solid manufacturing foundation, the ecosystem cannot circulate." He went on to say, "Following Europe and the United States, we will establish Japan's first global-level antibody drug CDMO plant in Toyama to strengthen the domestic manufacturing ecosystem," and added, "By applying the same quality assurance, IT systems, and training systems as our overseas bases, we will create a 'clone factory' and establish a Japanese standard for bio manufacturing."

Fujifilm is also building a next-generation modality production system in Toyama, Japan, by introducing additional single-use facilities with capacities of 5,000 liters and 2,000 liters, enabling the production of not only antibody drugs but also ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates) and mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines.

He stressed, "In Europe and the United States, clinical trials, production, and equipment industries are interconnected in a single cyclical ecosystem, and ventures, big pharma, CDMOs, and CROs (Contract Research Organizations) each play their roles to secure global competitiveness," emphasizing, "Japan must also build such a cyclical system."