Inside FUJIFILM Biotechnologies: A Post Event Recap of the Sold Out Facility Tour Following the 2026 ISPE Europe Annual Conference
As a fitting conclusion to the 2026 ISPE Europe Annual Conference, 30 conference attendees took the opportunity to step inside one of the industry’s most advanced biologics manufacturing facilities during a sold out tour of the FUJIFILM Biotechnologies site in Hillerød, Denmark. Held on Thursday, 23 April, the sold-out tour offered attendees an in depth look at how large scale biologics manufacturing excellence is achieved through harmonization, sustainability, and operational rigor.
With transportation and lunch provided, participants were able to fully immerse themselves in the experience—both figuratively and literally—walking through a facility that has become a global blueprint for FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ rapidly expanding biologics network.
A Flagship Facility for Advanced Biologics Manufacturing
The Hillerød site brings together deep technical expertise, proven capabilities, and advanced technologies to reliably manufacture biologics for late phase and commercial use. The facility has twelve 20,000-liter tanks, which positions it as among the most significant biologics manufacturing operations in Europe and underscores FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ role as a global contract development and manufacturing organization supporting critical therapies.
The visit began with an introduction to FUJIFILM Biotechnologies Denmark, providing attendees with context on the site’s history, operating model, and commitment to continuous improvement. Of particular interest was the overview of the company’s sustainability strategy, which is embedded into both facility design and daily operations—a theme that resonated strongly with conference discussions throughout the week.
Behind the Scenes: Utilities, Production, and Sustainability in Action
A highlight of the tour was the guided walkthrough of the utilities infrastructure and windowed production areas, allowing participants to see how complex biologics manufacturing systems are designed for reliability, safety, and compliance. These “window production” areas offered a rare glimpse into live manufacturing environments, reinforcing the importance of robust utilities, environmental controls, and standardized process platforms in maintaining consistent product quality at scale.
Attendees also gained firsthand insight into how sustainability is operationalized—not as an abstract goal, but as a set of practical design and engineering decisions that reduce environmental impact while supporting high volume production. These principles are central to FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ global facility strategy and were repeatedly cited by participants as a key takeaway from the visit.
The Denmark Blueprint: Replicating Success Across the Atlantic
For some visitors, the Hillerød facility was already familiar—not through direct experience, but as the blueprint for FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ North American commercial-scale site. The Denmark site served as the replicated model for the company’s new site in Holly Springs, North Carolina, United States, which received a 2026 ISPE Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) Honorable Mention that was announced just days earlier, on Monday, 20 April, during the 2026 ISPE Europe Annual Conference.
The Holly Springs campus was designed to be one of North America’s largest end to end cell culture manufacturing site, spanning two phases and supporting monoclonal antibody production for global markets. By adopting a “design once, build many” philosophy, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies demonstrated how proven facility designs can be digitally replicated to accelerate delivery while maintaining quality and regulatory confidence.
This replication strategy—enabled by the company’s proprietary kojoX™ modular replication approach—standardizes facility layouts, equipment, and process platforms. The result is a global manufacturing network where customers can expect consistent performance and identical quality systems, regardless of geography.
Digital Delivery, Safety, and Pharma 4.0™ Alignment
The FOYA recognized Holly Springs project incorporates many of the same principles showcased during the Denmark tour. Through digital twins, proprietary design tools, and digital replication, the project achieved high first pass design accuracy and significantly reduced engineering and execution risk.
Advanced execution technologies—including 4D construction simulation, AI driven progress tracking, drone based monitoring, and robotic layout systems—aligned the site with Pharma 4.0™ principles, reinforcing how digitalization and manufacturing excellence go hand in hand.
Safety was another defining feature discussed during the tour and highlighted in the FOYA recognition. The Holly Springs project logged over 13 million work hours with an exceptional safety record, supported by Prevention through Design methodologies, modularization, extensive offsite fabrication, and immersive virtual reality safety training.
Sustainability Recognized on a Global Stage
Sustainability is a common through line between the Denmark facility and its North Carolina counterpart. The Holly Springs campus is targeting LEED Gold certification, incorporating water reuse strategies, high efficiency utilities, ultra low NOx boilers, renewable energy generation, and biodiversity restoration. Together, these measures significantly reduce both water consumption and carbon emissions compared to conventional large scale biologics facilities.
These efforts were echoed in discussions during the Hillerød tour, reinforcing that sustainability is not an add on—but a foundational design principle across FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ portfolio.
A Compelling Conclusion to the 2026 ISPE Europe Annual Conference
The FUJIFILM Biotechnologies facility tour provided a powerful, real world complement to the themes explored during the 2026 ISPE Europe Annual Conference. From modular replication and digital delivery to safety leadership and sustainable design, the visit showcased how theory translates into operational excellence.
For ISPE members, the sold out tour underscored the value of learning directly from facilities that are shaping the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing—and highlighted why FUJIFILM Biotechnologies’ approach continues to earn industry recognition, including the 2026 ISPE FOYA Honorable Mention.
As global demand for biologics continues to grow, the Hillerød facility stands as both a proven manufacturing engine and a living blueprint for the next generation of scalable, resilient, and sustainable biomanufacturing worldwide.
Read more about the 2026 ISPE Facility of the Year Awards winners.
The 2026 ISPE FOYA Overall Winner will be announced at the FOYA Awards and Celebration Banquet. The banquet will take place at the 2026 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo, set for 18-21 October in Washington, D.C., United States.
