Samsung Biologics, a CDMO of biologics, is investing KRW 1.9 trillion ($1.46 billion) for a new biomanufacturing facility in South Korea, which will be the first plant of the company’s second Bio Campus and its fifth biomanufacturing plant overall. Kevin Sharp, Vice President and Head of Samsung Biologics America–Sales, outlined the expansion at the DCAT Member Company Announcement Forum held on March 20, 2023, at DCAT Week. 

The company will invest over KRW 1.9 trillion ($1.46 billion) in the new facility and break ground in the first half of this year (2023) with the aim to commence operations in 2025. Located near the company’s current site in Songdo, South Korea, the new facility will be the fifth plant in the company’s biomanufacturing network and will be the first facility of the company’s second Bio Campus. The new facility will encompass an area of 96,000 m² with capacity of 180,000 liters. Samsung Biologics purchased 360,000 m² of land in July 2022 for its second Bio Campus, which will house additional large-scale plants and an open innovation center. Overall, the company will be investing KRW 7.5 trillion ($5.8 billion) in its second Bio Campus. 

Upon the full completion of the new facility (Plant 5), Samsung Biologics will have total biomanufacturing capacity of 784,000 liters. The company’s first Bio Campus has four biomanufacturing plants. The company’s existing Plants 1 through 3 are under near-full utilization and its Plant 4, which started partial operations in October last year (2022), is expected to commence full operations by mid-year to give the company total capacity at its first Bio Campus of 604,000 liters. 

The company has also recently expanded its US presence with the opening of a new regional office in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, as part of the company’s efforts to enable streamlined communication and to work in closer proximity to its clients based in the US and Europe. In the US, the company also operates an R&D center in San Francisco, California.