Gov. Evers, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics Leaders Celebrate Opening of New Manufacturing Facility in Madison

Site will serve as company's new headquarters and expands capacity and capabilities for induced pluripotent stem cell development and manufacturing

MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers today joined leaders from FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics Inc . and local officials to celebrate the opening of the company's new human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) development and manufacturing facility in Madison. The new Madison site is expected to quadruple the capacity for the company's research products and services manufacturing footprint and expand capabilities across FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics' research product portfolio.

"FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics is a Wisconsin success story," said Gov. Evers. "Thanks to James Thomson's pioneering stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, collaboration between our state's public and private sectors, and global partnerships to carry this innovation forward, we are celebrating not only the growth of one company, but our state's leadership throughout the fields of biohealth and biotechnology."

Gov. Evers credited Wisconsin's strong and enduring relationship with Japan as one of the keys to FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics' successful growth in the state. Gov. Evers' first global trade mission was to Japan in 2019, where he toured FUJIFILM's headquarters and met with company leaders.

The governor added that the expansion comes as Wisconsin's reputation for leadership in the field of biohealth and biotechnology continues to grow. The U.S. Economic Development Administration in 2024 designated Wisconsin a Regional Technology Hub for biohealth and personalized medicine, allocating approximately $49 million to efforts to increase collaboration and innovation among key industry players in Wisconsin. Over the next decade, the Wisconsin BioHealth Tech Hub is projected to create more than 30,000 direct jobs and 111,000 indirect jobs throughout the state.

"Completion of this facility comes at a critical time in the iPSC field, where FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics has been setting industry standards for more than 20 years," said Toshihisa Iida, director and corporate vice president of FUJIFILM Corporation, Japan, and chairman of FUJIFILM Biotechnologies. "This new facility enables us to respond to growing demand from pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and academia engaged in new drug research and development, further delivering on our commitment to the development of life-changing medical treatments and to the people who will benefit from them."

"The opening of this facility is an exciting milestone for FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics and represents a crucial next step for scaling the infrastructure needed to support the next generation of iPSC-based research and therapeutics in the U.S.," said Tomoyuki Hasegawa, president and CEO of FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics. "By expanding our development and manufacturing capabilities, we can better support partners working to translate stem cell science into real clinical impact. Our research portfolio additionally supports drug discovery across all therapeutic modalities, thus truly embodying our 'Partners for Life' brand."

"This facility reflects our commitment to reinforcing Madison's position as a global center for stem cell innovation," said Delara Motlagh, COO, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics. "The expanded footprint highlights the strength of the region's biotechnology ecosystem while advancing regenerative medicine by supporting customers worldwide. We are a truly global company, headquartered in Madison."

As one part of a previously announced $200 million strategic investment by FUJIFILM, the 175,000-square-foot building integrates state-of-the-art capabilities, such as cell culture manufacturing laboratories, process development laboratories, and a center of excellence for gene editing, that support both research-grade iPSC products and development services for partners developing next-generation cell therapies. The expanded capacity will advance development, manufacturing, and commercialization efforts across FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics' portfolio.

Originally posted on governor's website here .