With US, Korea plants in place, CEO says 'we're just getting started' Lotte Biologics CEO James Park speaks in a press conference on the sidelines of the 2026 BIO International Convention in San Diego on Tuesday. (Lotte Biologics) SAN DIEGO -- Lotte Biologics is zeroing in on securing more orders and expanding its global presence with the completion of Plant 1’s construction and approval for use at its Songdo Bio Campus in Incheon.“Lotte Biologics has now secured a dual-site production system in the United States and Korea,” said James Park, CEO of Lotte Biologics, in a press conference held on the sidelines of the BIO International Convention in San Diego on Tuesday.“Based on the Songdo Bio Campus’ Plant 1 and the Syracuse Bio Campus, we believe that Lotte Biologics has established a top-tier level capacity on par with the global (contract development and manufacturing organization) market.”According to Lotte Biologics, the construction of its Plant 1 was completed in just two years — six months earlier than the initial schedule announced back when it broke ground in 2024. Featuring a total of 120,000-liter capacity, Lotte Biologics’ Plant 1 includes eight 15,000-liter bioreactors to support large-scale commercial production demand.“This does not simply mean that the construction was finished quickly,” said Park. “It means that we have swiftly gotten ready to welcome customers, so it’s an achievement and a new beginning at the same time.”According to the CEO, Lotte Biologics plans to begin pilot operations and production tests in the second half of this year to obtain a good manufacturing practice, or GMP, certificate by year's end.Park pointed out that the Syracuse Bio Campus will support early-stage projects for customers while the new Songdo Plant 1 will serve as a large-scale commercial manufacturing base, signifying the firm’s dual-site structure being able to respond to a broad range of customer needs.The Korean CDMO acquired the Syracuse site from Bristol Myers Squibb for $160 million in 2023. The company has invested about $100 to build advanced antibody-drug conjugate production and conjugation infrastructure at the New York facility. The Syracuse foothold has a 40,000-liter manufacturing capacity.“We have announced four new orders so far this year,” said the CEO. “This shows that global clients trust Lotte Biologics’ quality and production capacity. We expect the synergy created by our dual-site strategy will get bigger. I believe this is the real beginning for Lotte Biologics.” Lotte Biologics Plant 1 at its Songdo Bio Campus in Incheon (Lotte Biologics)