This podcast is a visit recorded October 25, 2022 with FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies College Station COO Gerry Farrell and WTAW's Bill Oliver.
Background of the interview:
The largest employer in the Bryan/College Station biocorridor is growing again.
Groundbreaking took place Tuesday on a $300 million dollar addition at College Station's FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) campus.
The expansion will double FDB's advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing capacity in the U.S.
The addition of approximately 138,000 square feet to the existing (300,000 square feet) campus will create 150 jobs, bringing bring total employment to 1,000.
FDB College Station's chief operating officer Gerry Farrell says manufacturing is expected to start towards the end of 2024.
Tuesday's program also included the presentation of new street signs, changing the name of Biomedical Way to FUJIFILM Way.
News release from FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies:
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, a world leading contract development and manufacturing organization for biologics, vaccines, and advanced therapies, held a groundbreaking ceremony today to celebrate the start of its single-use manufacturing campus expansion project in College Station, Texas. The expansion will add a new cGMP production facility that will be operational by 2024, and is expected to add 150 skilled positions to the site. The expansion will double the Company’s advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing capacity in the U.S.
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies leadership, employees and community partners joined the groundbreaking ceremony with remarks from the following guests:
• Adriana Cruz, Executive Director, Texas Economic Development and Tourism, Office of Governor Greg Abbott
• Karl Mooney, mayor of the City of College Station
• James Edge, city councilman, City of Bryan, Texas (representing Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson)
• Matt Prochaska, chief executive officer, Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation
• Spencer Clements, president and founder, William Cole Companies
• Dr. Gerry Farrell, chief operations officer, Texas and California, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
• Dr. Thomas Page, vice president, engineering & asset development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Texas
“The economic impact of FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies’ new facility in College Station will be immense for Texas,” said Adriana Cruz, executive director of Texas Economic Development and Tourism. “Not only is it a significant capital investment creating 150 new skilled jobs, it will also strengthen Texas’ expertise in biotech and life sciences with what is expected to be the largest single-use CDMO production campus in North America.”
As part of the groundbreaking, College Station mayor Karl Mooney delivered a proclamation changing the name of the street where the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies facility is located from 3939 Biomedical Way to 3939 Fujifilm Way.
“College Station has become a city of innovation, thanks in considerable measure to our emerging biotech industry,” said Mayor Mooney. “And FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies is leading the way here among contract development and manufacturing organizations.”
“The CDMO sector in the U.S. and worldwide is rapidly growing, supporting nearly 400 cell and gene therapies in development or already deployed, most designed to target a broad range of rare diseases,” said Dr. Gerry Farrell, chief operations officer, Texas and California, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. “Designed as a single-use production campus, this site will provide the capacity needed to manufacture these life-impacting advanced therapies.”
This College Station facility expansion will add approximately 138,000 square feet to the existing (300,000 square feet) campus, and provides space for multiple 500L and 2,000L bioreactors and associated purification equipment deploying single-use, disposable-device technology.
Added Dr. Farrell: “We are grateful to our local and state partners for supporting us in this expansion, which will allow College Station to play a central role in advancing the field of advanced therapies.”
The investment is supported by a $1.5 million Texas Enterprise Fund Award to support the job creation, which was previously awarded in December 2021. The Texas Enterprise Fund awards support the creation of quality jobs and leverages private investment for business activities designed to strengthen the economic future of the state.
