AGC (AGC Inc., Headquarters: Tokyo; President: Yoshinori Hirai), a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals, and high-tech materials, has announced that AGC Wakasa Chemicals Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Obama City, Fukui Prefecture), a subsidiary of AGC that conducts CDMO^* for synthetic agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, held a ceremony on November 17, 2023 for the completion of a new large-scale production line at its Kaminaka Plant (Location: Mikata Kaminaka-gun, Fukui Prefecture). The completion ceremony was attended by Mio Washizu, Vice-Governor of Fukui Prefecture, and other concerned parties. This expansion, previously announced on November 21, 2021, will boost the company’s manufacturing capacity to 1.5 times the current level, and is scheduled to commence operations in the first quarter of 2024 as originally planned.

A scene from the completion ceremony

(Center left: Mio Washizu, Vice-Governor of Fukui Prefecture; center: Yoshinori Hirai, AGC President; center right:

Hideaki Watanabe, Mayor of Wakasa Town)

Demand for agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals is expected to grow steadily against a backdrop of population growth and improvement of living standards. In particular, demand has been growing in recent years for safer agrochemicals with a lower environmental impact, as well as agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals with more complex structures in connection with technology advancements, which require advanced technological capabilities for their process development and manufacturing. The AGC Group launched its CDMO business for synthetic agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals in 1985 building on the strength of its diverse chemical synthesis technologies, including fluorinated compound synthesis, cultivated in its chemicals business. It has since expanded its business with the aim of process development and manufacturing of high value-added and high-quality products.

This expansion at AGC Wakasa Chemicals’ Kaminaka Plant will include a new large scale multi-purpose production line, which together with the existing small and medium-scale facilities will be able to meet demand for a wide range of production volume and chemical synthesis. In addition, the plant also has strengthened its development function in 2022, with the aim of enhancing seamless collaboration between process development and manufacturing. This will enable more rapid process development and scale-up of synthetic agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Under its medium-term management plan AGC plus-2023, the AGC Group has positioned its Life Science business including its synthetic pharmaceutical and agrochemical CDMO services, as one of its strategic businesses. The Group aims for steady business expansion through acquisitions and capital investments. The AGC Group will continue to expand and strengthen its CDMO business to meet the increasing demand in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical market, and contribute to the improvement of people's healthy lives and a sustainable food supply.

Notes

^*　CDMO: Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization. A company which is contracted on behalf of another company to serve product manufacturing as well as the development of manufacturing processes.

1.　Company Overview of AGC Wakasa Chemicals

2.　The AGC Group’s CDMO business locations