{
  "id": 17301959,
  "title": "Magnetic tape storage is seeing a second lease of life thanks to AI — and now its largest manufacturer is planning a huge ramp-up in production",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/magnetic-tape-storage-is-seeing-a-second-lease-of-life-thanks-to-ai",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-30T22:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/pro/magnetic-tape-storage-is-seeing-a-second-lease-of-life-thanks-to-ai-and-now-its-largest-manufacturer-is-planning-a-huge-ramp-up-in-production"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fujifilm announces expansion of magnetic tape production fivefold by fiscal 2028, driven by soaring data storage demands from AI applications. The Japanese firm has earmarked ¥10 billion ($63.3 million) for an expansion of its Odawara plant near Tokyo, marking its largest investment in tape manufacturing in two decades. The project will focus on cartridges capable of storing up to 100TB, though the company has not disclosed its anticipated annual output following the expansion. The resurgence of magnetic tape's relevance stems from its ability to store vast amounts of data offline, protected from networked cyberattacks, making it an attractive option for data centres, financial institutions, and research organizations seeking long-term data preservation. IDC predicts global data generation to reach 718 zettabytes by 2030, nearly quadrupling 2024 levels. Magnetic tape offers a cost-effective solution for such large-scale, offline storage, with a price of about 1 cent per GB, compared to 3–3.5 cents per GB for HDDs. The economics of competing storage technologies have enhanced tape's cost advantage, particularly as semiconductor shortages drive up SSD prices and HDD supplies tighten. Japanese companies are investing in various storage technologies, indicating a belief in continued demand for diverse capacities, speeds, and costs. These investments suggest magnetic tape's renewed appeal coincides with expansion in the broader storage market, rather than a decline in SSDs or HDDs.",
  "summary": "Fujifilm plans 5x tape production growth by 2028 as AI adoption drives data growth and organisations seek affordable offline storage.",
  "key_points": [
    "Fujifilm plans to quintuple magnetic tape production by 2028",
    "Expansion focuses on cartridges storing up to 100TB",
    "AI-driven data storage demands fuel tape's resurgence"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}