DATA & ANALYTICS
Despite these headwinds, Fujifilm continues investing in cell and gene therapy manufacturing capacity, taking a long-term view of the field’ s potential. The company recently completed an expansion of its cell therapy manufacturing facility in Thousand Oaks, California, adding two new independent allogeneic cell therapy production suites and significantly increasing cleanroom capacity for new client programmes.
The common thread: zero-defect manufacturing What connects Fujifilm’ s seemingly disparate ventures into semiconductors and biopharmaceuticals is a shared manufacturing philosophy rooted in the company’ s origins in photographic film production.
For decades, Fujifilm perfected the art of creating colour film, a product requiring extraordinary precision in layering over 100 different chemical compounds across 20 photosensitive layers within a thickness of just 20 microns – less than a quarter the width of a human hair.
John explains the connection:“ The common thread here at Fujifilm is our zero-defect manufacturing philosophy, which was borne from our legacy in manufacturing colour film, which requires precisely arranging over 100 types of compounds across 20 photosensitive layers in a thickness measuring just 20 microns.
“ Manufacturing both semiconductor materials and biopharmaceuticals
“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for resilient and adaptable manufacturing strategies”
John Stewart, SVP Global Process Development, Fujifilm Biotechnologies
also requires high precision with highly sensitive materials. Our commitment to manufacturing and uncompromised quality permeates throughout our organisation.”
This legacy of precision manufacturing translates directly to both industries. Semiconductor materials require extreme purity and exact specifications, while biopharmaceuticals demand consistently reproducible processes with no room for contamination or variation. Both fields deal with highly sensitive materials where even minute imperfections can render products unusable or, in the case of medicines, potentially dangerous.
Building trust through people Beyond technology and infrastructure, Fujifilm recognises that success in these demanding industries ultimately depends on people. The company’ s facilities require highly skilled workers capable of operating sophisticated equipment, maintaining stringent
234 January 2026