Work has commenced on Fujifilm’s new £8 million headquarters in Bedford. 

Fujifilm has signed an agreement to take a 10-year lease on a 30,000 sq ft green-focused office building at Cardington Road, Bedford.

Graftongate is developing the new three-storey building, which will provide office space and dedicated workshop space and exhibition areas. It is being funded by a private investor.  

The world’s largest photographic and imaging company, Fujifilm employs 320 staff at its current headquarters on St Martins Way, Bedford, just 250 metres from the site of the new office.

Named Fujifilm House, the new building will be characterised by its sustainability credentials, with low energy usage and green technologies deployed throughout. 

The BREEAM ‘excellent’ scheme incorporates solar panels, rainwater collection systems and biodiverse landscaping design. Graftongate and Fujifilm will work with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire as part of the development.

Yoshitaka Nakamura, Managing Director of FUJIFILM UK Ltd., said: “The Fujifilm story is one of transformation and reinvention, and our new headquarters will reflect the next step of this journey, providing a site fit for our future in the UK.

“As a company, Fujifilm has evolved far beyond our iconic little green box of photographic film to now play a pivotal part in the healthcare and life sciences industries – something we have harnessed to support efforts against Covid-19 here in the UK and around the world.

“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.”

Colin Beasley, principal at Graftongate, said: “We’re hugely excited to be working with Fujifilm to deliver this impressive new headquarters building and cement the company’s long standing presence in Bedford. Our two businesses share a passion for green initiatives and close collaboration with local people. The sustainable credentials of Fujifilm House will create a net benefit to the wider economic and environmental community.”