Japan-based Fujifilm, a multinational conglomerate, has broken ground on its new UK headquarters in Bedford. The company’s new facility will be located just 250m from its current location on St Martins Way, where it has had operations since 1983.

The new £8m ($5.82m) will offer 2,790m2 of office space, dedicated workshop and exhibition space. It is scheduled to open in summer 2022 and will employ 320 staff who will move from the company’s existing location in the area.

Yoshitaka Nakamura, managing director of Fujifilm UK, said in a company press release: “Fujifilm House will be home to our skilled colleagues in and around Bedford, bringing our various teams – from photography and large format printing to healthcare and diagnostics – under one roof as they work to advance culture, science, technology and industry, contributing to a better and healthier world together.”

Fujifilm is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and employs more than 37,000 staff globally. The company also announced in May 2021 that it has selected North Carolina to establish the largest end-to-end cell culture biopharmaceutical in North America. Fujifilm will create 725 highly skilled jobs in Holly Springs, NC, by the end of 2028.