Illumina Deepens commitment to customers in China with new manufacturing site

Illumina, a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, announced the opening of its first manufacturing site in China. The new Shanghai-based facility enables localized production for Illumina’s gene sequencing instruments and consumables and reflects the growing demand in the Chinese market for Illumina’s systems and products.

“Our new manufacturing site in Shanghai will allow us to bring more of our innovative and life-changing technologies to the region,” said Kevin Pegels, chief of Global Operations at Illumina. “This investment also creates greater efficiencies in our global supply chain to meet increasing customer demand in this critical growth geography.”

The new Illumina China manufacturing site will initially produce 16 sequencing reagents for clinical use, with production on the first batch of products scheduled to begin by the end of this year. The company aims to achieve complete localized production for its gene sequencing instruments and consumables within the next five years.

“This investment in China signifies Illumina’s commitment to China’s vibrant life sciences and genomics industries,” said Li Qing, senior vice president and general manager of Greater China at Illumina. “Illumina intends to further invest across the entire value chain in China, in pursuit of our mission to improve the health of people throughout China and around the world by unlocking the power of the genome.”

The new manufacturing site is expected to become the company’s third largest production operation globally and follows Illumina’s recent opening of both its new Greater China headquarters and distribution center. Earlier this year, Illumina was honored by MIT Technology Review as one of the “50 Smartest Companies in China.”