Jeil Pharmaceuticals has begun the operation of its “state-of-the-art global smart factory” for its second takeoff by attaining annual sales of 1 trillion won ($880 million) by 2020, the company said Tuesday.

Jeil제일약품(CEO Sung Suk-jae성석제) invested about 40 billion won into the construction of the smart factory since 2015, a three-floor building with a basement on a total floor space of 13,121 square meters. There is an engine room and a warehouse in the basement, packing lines on the first floor, production lines on the second floor, and machine room on the third floor.

The smart factory will monitor and adjust all production, logistics, and utility processes in real-time with the introduction of BMS, EMS, and WMS, which integrate the next-generation industrial revolution.

The company also equipped the factory with cutting-edge security systems from Germany to make it an intelligent facility as well as a closed system to minimize cross-contamination.

The design of the plant pursued a three-dimensional and future-oriented image by making the most of the space rather than the standardized and fractional facility of the existing factories. Reflecting the global trend of eco-friendly energy use, Jeil introduced “ice storage system” for the first time among Korean pharmaceuticals.

Jeil is supplying antiviral agents produced in the smart factory to Japan’s original and generic drug-makers known for their rigorous and strict criteria for drug screening. It expects Entecavir products to fetch more than $2 million in revenue a year and is seeking to make CMO deals with generic makers in Japan, Europe, and the Middle East.

Also, the global smart factory will establish a production line to meet the current good manufacturing practice regulations (cGMP) and secure a logistics system managed quickly and efficiently, helping the company move one step closer to the U.S. and European markets, Jeil officials said.

"The up-to-second smart factory, which complies with the PIC/S standard, is expected to produce high-quality, competitive drugs in the future,” said Kim Jung-jin김정진, manager of Jeil Pharmaceuticals. “We hope it will serve as a bridgehead to make our company grow from a Korean to global pharmaceutical by achieving 1 trillion won in annual sales.”

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