Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, which last week announced a major expansion of its North Carolina operations, is laying off 67 workers at its Research Triangle Park operation as part of a restructuring of one of its business units.
The company said it was reorganizing its Small Scale Business Unit, and that up to 240 employees will be leaving the company. This affects employees at its Teesside sites in the UK, and sites in College Station, Texas and Watertown, Massachusetts, in the U.S. in addition to its Wake County operation.
The company said the unit has been affected by a decline in venture capital investment in early-stage research projects, particularly in the cell and gene therapies market.
The restructuring is a “strategic direction and intended to strengthen its Small Scale Business and elevate its operational and financial performance,” the company said in a statement. “It lays the groundwork for a solid foundation from which to build and unlock opportunity in the market.”
A week ago, the company announced it would expand its biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Wake County, adding 680 jobs and investing $1.2 billion in Holly Springs. State and local officials are promising about $80 million in incentives.
In 2021, Fujifilm announced it would construct one of North America’s largest end-to-end biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Holly Springs, creating 725 jobs and investing $2 billion.
The expanded project brings the total Fujifilm investment to $3.2 billion and about 1,400 jobs by 2031, according to reports.
The company’s North Carolina site has been in operation since 1996. The campus has expanded to include three buildings that house the company’s Process Development and Analytical Laboratories, cGMP Manufacturing Facility, and Administration. It works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to produce biologics, vaccines and other advanced therapies.
The site had more than 600 employees in 2021.