The first phase of Fujifilm Biotechnologies’ $3.2-billion large-scale cell culture biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in North Carolina is scheduled to begin operating this year.

Fujifilm Biotechnologies, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Fujifilm Corp., first announced the $2-billion plant project in 2021, and last year said it would add a $1.2-billion expansion. The plant will be Fuji­film’s largest end-to-end cell culture biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing facility in North America.

Jacobs is Fujifilm’s engineering, procurement and construction management contractor on both the initial project and the expansion. North Carolina’s biologics and pharmaceutical manufacturing sector “is rapidly emerging as a benchmark for innovation and resilience, powered by advancements in digital technologies, modular design strategies, and robust [project] delivery methods,” said Koti Vadlamudi, executive vice president and general manager of Jacobs’ global business units, in a statement.

“Cross-market solutions are further propelling the surge, with clients looking for expertise in water, environmental consulting and permitting, and advanced manufacturing,” he added.

The plant is being constructed on a 1-million-sq-ft site southwest of Raleigh in Holly Springs, N.C. It will use eight 20,000-liter bulk drug substance bioreactors, according to Fujifilm. It also said the facility is designed for flexibility, allowing the company to add more bioreactors in the future to accommodate new initiatives and needs of its clients. The first expansion will add 400,000 sq ft of manufacturing space and another eight 20,000-liter bioreactors by 2028.