Mexico on Fujifilm’s Radar: Can It Become a Health Powerhouse?

Today, Fujifilm has no plans to invest in Mexico. Still, it does not rule out the possibility in the medium term—enough to spark a broader debate: if the country shortens regulatory delays and strengthens its health infrastructure, it could become an inevitable destination for global biotech and medical industries.

The interest wouldn’t be accidental. While Fujifilm is growing at double digits in Europe and Asia, progress in the Americas has been minimal—just 0.8% last year. Even so, the United States is its second-largest industrial market after Asia, with more than 300,000 square meters of facilities hosting everything from electronics production to high-purity chemicals.

Mexico even appearing on the radar of that expansion speaks to the potential of the health sector, which, according to SiiLA, already accounts for 3.6% of the country’s industrial inventory, with more than 3.7 million square meters devoted to factories and distribution centers for medical equipment and pharmaceutical supplies, where global players such as AGFA, Canon, GE Healthcare, Philips, Scantibodies, Sectra and Siemens operate.

That potential, however, runs into an obvious obstacle: Mexico is burdened by COFEPRIS approval times that exceed a year, regulatory restrictions that discourage innovation, and a lack of specialized infrastructure—such as university hospitals dedicated to research—that limits sector development, warns Enrique Giraud de Haro, General Manager of Fujifilm Mexico.

Currently, Fujifilm’s presence in Mexico’s healthcare sector is primarily limited to providing services and medical equipment, including imaging and ultrasound systems, as well as medical IT and post-market surveillance, primarily through third-party partnerships. Even so, its weight is notable: half of the imaging studies in the country utilize some Fujifilm technology, and over the last three years, it has partially developed and tested X-ray prototypes with hospitals such as Civil de Guadalajara and ABC.

If a more agile regulatory framework and specialized infrastructure take hold, the map could change. The range spans from a modest 3,000-square-meter pharmaceutical plant, such as Fujifilm’s in Toyama, Japan, to a campus of over 230,000 square meters in Castroville, Texas, where it produces high-purity chemicals for industries ranging from medicine to semiconductors.

The good news is that Mexico wouldn’t be starting from scratch. Its logistics platform gives it a privileged position: it shares a border with the world’s largest consumer of medical equipment and benefits from tariff policies that leave its exports with an effective rate of 10% to 13%, far below what China—over 40%—or Brazil—above 25%—face. Add to that a local pharmaceutical industry that has grown at a 7% compound annual rate over the past decade and fertile ground for technology adoption: although the country is not among the most advanced in medical innovation, Fujifilm has been a pioneer in introducing artificial intelligence to diagnostic imaging in Mexico, with systems that today help offset structural gaps—such as the shortage of radiologists—and speed diagnoses.

In the end, the question isn’t whether Fujifilm will invest in Mexico, but whether Mexico can build the conditions to make that investment—and that of an entire industry—inevitable. Because on the global biotech and health board, the country has the essentials: market, logistics and talent. What’s missing is speed.

To gauge where the square meters are today, who operates, and how the pipeline is moving, visit SiiLA Market Analytics or write to contacto@siila.com.mx.