South Korea-based contract manufacturer Samsung Biologics will start construction of Plant 5 in the first half of this year with a plan to commence operations there in 2025.

Samsung Biologics will invest 1.9 trillion South Korean won ($1.46 billion) into the project, which will add 180,000 litres of capacity to the complex in Incheon, bringing total capacity to 784,000 litres, the most at a single site in the industry

The construction of Plant 5 means Samsung is breaking ground on its second Bio Campus. The first, consisting of four buildings, topped off by its ubiquitous Super Plant, is nearing completion. The planned investment for Bio Campus II comes to 7.5 trillion South Korean won ($5.76 billion).

Eight months ago, Samsung said it had bought a 360,000-square-metre (89-acre) parcel of land adjacent to Bio Campus I. The purchase was for 426 billion won ($323 million). Samsung said at the time that it had plans to hire 400 employees each year and a total of 4,000 by 2032.

Plant 5 will further maximise operational efficiency by allowing the company to leverage existing capabilities, expertise and technologies acquired through experience at Plants 1 through 4, while introducing advanced digitization and sustainability features, Samsung explained. 

Plant 4 began operations last October and will be fully operational in the middle of this year.