Expansion strengthens life science manufacturing capacity

Asahi Kasei Life Science has announced plans to build a new spinning plant for its Planova™ virus removal filters in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki, Japan. The facility will be the company’s fourth spinning plant for hollow-fibre cellulose membrane filters, with construction set to start in July 2026 and operations beginning in January 2030.

The expansion, supported by a grant from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), aligns with Asahi Kasei’s medium-term management plan, ’Trailblaze Together’, which positions Life Science as a key growth driver.

With the global biopharmaceutical market projected to exceed US$500 billion by 2032, demand for virus removal filters for biologics and plasma-derived therapeutics is rising sharply. The new plant will boost production of Planova™ filters, including S20N, 15N, 20N, 35N, and 75N, strengthening supply chain resilience and reinforcing Asahi Kasei’s position in the high-value bioprocessing market.

Yusuke Kanazawa, Head of the Bioprocess Division at Asahi Kasei Life Science, said: “This plant demonstrates our commitment to strategic investment while responding to growing global demand. Supported by METI’s Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Project, it will enhance domestic infrastructure and competitiveness in the biopharmaceutical market.”

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