From photos to stem cells, Fujifilm finds a second life

Tokyo

DURING a recent magazine shoot in Japan, Fujifilm Holdings Corp's chairman, Shigetaka Komori, posed in a white lab coat, wielding a test tube in his hand.

Mr Komori is no scientist, but the image embodies the Japanese brand's shift away from photo-film and to new science and technology markets: Ebola drugs, anti-aging lotions and stem cell research.

Over the last decade, Mr Komori diversified into new businesses as demand for the company's trademark green photo- film boxes plummeted and archrival Eastman Kodak Co went bankrupt. Fujifilm this year reported record profit of 119 billion yen (S$1.34 billio…