In the midst of a resurging popularity of analog photography, the FUJIFILM Corporation, led by President and CEO Teiichi Goto, announced a large-scale investment to expand their production capacities for Instax films. This strategic move involves a financial injection of 4.5 billion JPY (Japanese Yen) into its factory in Ashigara, Kanagawa, Japan, aiming to increase the production capacities of the sought-after Instax films by an estimated 20%.
This initiative comes at a time when the company is noticing an increased global demand for its Instax products, partly due to the constant expansion of its product portfolio as well as diverse business and event applications. The goal is to meet this growing demand, with the production lines expected to be operational in phases by the autumn of 2024. By the fiscal year 2025, when the new production facilities are expected to be fully functional, the production capacity for Instax films is projected to be around 20% higher than the current level. Combined with the effects of the facility expansion that began in 2022, a total growth in production capacity of about 40% compared to the fiscal year 2021 is predicted.
Since its inception in 1998, the Instax series has established itself as a staple in the market for photographic products, offering a range from analog instant cameras to smartphone printers, targeting both young individuals and middle-aged groups. The latest additions to the product portfolio are the “Instax mini Evo”, a hybrid instant camera launched in 2021, the smartphone printer “Instax mini Link 2”, released in 2022, and the analog instant camera “Instax mini 12”, which came to the market in 2023. To expand the range of photographic expressions, Fujifilm offers Instax films in various formats: “mini”, “SQUARE”, and “WIDE”.
This substantial investment underscores Fujifilm’s commitment to creating innovative products that meet the changing requirements and desires of customers. By expanding production capacities, Fujifilm not only secures the future of the Instax portfolio but also solidifies its position as a market leader in the field of analog photography.