Borealis Facility
Client: Fujifilm Biotechnologies
Installer: Asgard Cleanroom Solutions
Borealis Facility
Fujifilm Biotechnologies required a large-scale cleanroom envelope to support the development of its Borealis facility in Billingham, part of a major expansion of the company’s UK biomanufacturing capability.
The Borealis project forms part of Fujifilm’s wider investment in the Teesside campus, helping establish the site as one of the largest biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities of its type in the UK.
Asgard Cleanroom Solutions were responsible for delivering the cleanroom system for the facility. Gilcrest worked closely with the Asgard team from 2022, providing design support and supplying the Puracore panel system to support the development of the cleanroom envelope.
Gilcrest Manufactured
7900m²
458
Panel Mods
2.5kN/m2
Project Details
Requirements
The cleanrooms include GMP Grade B, Grade C and BSL-2 environments, requiring a panel system capable of delivering hygienic finishes, structural stability and precise coordination with building services.
A significant number of service interfaces were required across the facility. Hundreds of penetrations and apertures were needed within the wall and ceiling systems to accommodate process equipment, utilities and building services. This required careful coordination between design teams and precise manufacturing to maintain programme efficiency.
The ceiling system was also required to support the 2.5kN/m2 walk-on load performance, allowing safe maintenance access within the ceiling void above the cleanroom areas while maintaining structural integrity and cleanroom performance.
Solution
Working in collaboration with Asgard Cleanroom Solutions, Gilcrest supplied a comprehensive Puracore cleanroom panel system for the project, supporting both design coordination and the manufacture of the panel systems.
A total of 5,250m² of wall panels were delivered, primarily modular Puracore panels designed to meet the structural and hygienic requirements of pharmaceutical cleanroom environments.
In non-classified areas such as staff lockers and toilet facilities, rockwool core panels were supplied as a practical alternative where cleanroom performance was not required.
Several specialist panel solutions were also incorporated to support service integration across the facility. Service panels were manufactured with additional box-section reinforcement, allowing services to be mounted directly to the panel face where required. Raceway panels were also incorporated within the design, featuring removable liner panels to provide access for future maintenance and service integration.
For wall sections exceeding 6 metres in height, Gilcrest worked with the project design team to develop a double-stack panel solution, installed within powder-coated H-section framing to match the architectural requirements of the controlled areas.
The ceiling installation included over 2,660 m² of Puracore walk-on ceiling panels, engineered to meet the 2.5kN/m2 requirements needed for safe maintenance access above the cleanroom ceiling void.
Across the ceiling system, 458 apertures were precision CNC-machined at Gilcrest’s manufacturing facility, ensuring consistent accuracy and reducing on-site cutting and installation complexity.
Results
The project delivered a large-scale cleanroom panel installation that supports the operational requirements of Fujifilm’s Borealis biotechnology manufacturing facility.
Early design collaboration helped ensure panel schedules were coordinated with the contractor’s programme and installation sequencing. This supported efficient delivery across multiple installation zones within the facility.
Factory CNC machining ensured consistent accuracy across hundreds of service penetrations, reducing installation complexity and helping maintain quality across the panel system.
The finished installation provides a durable, hygienic cleanroom envelope suited to high-performance biotechnology manufacturing environments.
Testimonial
"Working with Gilcrest Manufacturing on the FUJIFILM Biotechnologies project was a seamless experience. Their attention to detail in Billingham ensured we met our milestones on time and to a high standard. We’re delighted with the final outcome."