New developments at Fujifilm

Fujifilm Holdings Corporation has announced a new Chairman and President; and confirmed its intention to establish new organisations for the healthcare, imaging, and graphic fields.

Chairman of Fujifilm Holdings Corporation Shigetaka Komori (pictured) is set to step down from the position of the company's head after 20 years but will remain on as Chief Adviser. In addition, Fujifilm's President and COO Kenji Sukeno will become the new Chairman, while Teiichi Goto will take on the position of President and CEO, Representative Director.

The corporation is also establishing new organisations for healthcare, imaging and graphic fields to accelerate the generation of further synergies and new businesses in each business field.

1. Healthcare Field

Effective from 1 April 2021, reorganisation will take place to further accelerate the expansion of healthcare business, a growth driver of Fujifilm. This involves a division into the Medical System, mainly consisting of medical devices for diagnoses, and the Life Sciences, covering businesses such as Bio CDMO and drug development support. The Life Sciences Strategy Headquarters will be newly established to lead the businesses for the Life Sciences.

The Life Sciences Strategy Headquarters will plan and promote a comprehensive, integrated strategy including business portfolio management, M&A, alliances and R&D, to generate further synergies and new businesses within its business field. In addition to the Bio CDMO Division and the Pharmaceutical Products Division, the Life Sciences Business Division will be newly established to enhance business for drug development support, by integrating the iPS cell, cell culture media and reagent businesses, which are currently separated in the Regenerative Medicine Business Division and the Fine Chemical Business Division. The current Life Science Products Division, handling cosmetics and supplements, will be renamed the Consumer Healthcare Business Division. 

Fujifilm hereby reorganises and strengthens its Life Sciences businesses from a customer perspective, to prioritise businesses for Bio CDMO and drug development support, which are expected to experience high growth in the medium to long term. The overall purpose of this change is to become a leader within the life science industry, by offering the value of an end-to-end solution as a company strongly supporting the creation of cutting-edge medicine.

2. Imaging Field

Effective from 1 April 2021, the Photo Imaging Products Division and the Optical Device & Electronic Imaging Products Division will be integrated into the Imaging Solutions Division in order to continue offering new value and products that cater to diversifying needs in images and videos.

The needs for images and videos from society and daily life are diversifying amidst rapid advancement in various technologies, as seen in the diversification of image-recording devices such as smartphones, the introduction of high-speed 5G network, advancement in AI technology and progress toward data-oriented society. Fujifilm is redefining the market from broader perspectives in integrating the two business divisions to accelerate the development of new products and services based on its brand power as a comprehensive photo imaging company as well as technological assets that cover fields ranging from imaging devices to photo printing systems and services.

3. Graphics Field

In order to accelerate the creation of group-wide synergy and offer even greater values to the printing industry globally, Fujifilm’s Graphic Systems Business Division and Fuji Xerox’s (which changed its corporate name to Fujifilm Business Innovation on 1 April) Graphic Communication Services Business Group will be integrated (to be confirmed) into the Graphic Communication Business Division as of 1 July this year.

Fujifilm’s Graphic Systems business, which boasts far-reaching customer base primarily in commercial printing and packaging printing, will be combined with the marketing, technological and product strengths of Fujifilm Business Innovation’s Production business, whose strength lies in digital printing technology. The integration allows Fujifilm to deploy end-to-end solutions covering both analogue and digital printing to become the industry’s driving force toward digitisation.