Manufacturing

The University of Maine broke ground in October of 2024 on the $81 million Green Engineering and Materials (GEM) building in Orono. Designed by SMRT and Grimshaw Architects, the 50,000-sf project will house the Factory of the Future, a test bed for large-format additive manufacturing. Academic spaces for the Maine College of Engineering and Computing will be collocated with active research environments, offering unique opportunities for immersive learning.

Clemson University is constructing the Advanced Materials Innovation Complex in Clemson, S.C. The 143,000-sf facility will feature collaborative research suites where teams of investigators can discover new technologies for advanced manufacturing, energy, and health. HOK's innovative design for the center strengthens interdisciplinary synergies by collocating the Department of Materials Science and Engineering with select faculty from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

The number of makerspaces has increased 200% nationally in the last decade, with no sign of slowing down. This bodes well for the future of the labor force. But given the type of technology and materials used in these spaces, they also present a multitude of code, infrastructure, and safety challenges. Assess the risks posed by the various makerspace activities, and learn the regulations that apply to everything from welding and wood processing to painting and 3D printing. 

BeiGene opened an $800 million center for biologics manufacturing and research in July of 2024 in Hopewell, N.J. Sited on 42 acres at the Princeton West Innovation Campus, the development provides 400,000 sf of dedicated space for commercial-stage production of cancer therapies. A 100,000-sf lab building accommodates clinical R&D suites and collaborative office settings. As BeiGene's U.S. headquarters and flagship manufacturing facility, the highly flexible complex integrates universal design principles to create an adaptable, human-centric environment.

BXP recently completed a 113,000-rsf innovation hub in Waltham, Mass. Designed by TRIA, 103 CityPoint aims to reshape corporate culture for science and technology tenants, energizing its workforce and accelerating growth. The flexible flour-story structure provides 80 percent laboratory and office space, with 20 percent accommodating a double-height cGMP manufacturing area spanning approximately 25,000 sf.

WACKER opened the mRNA Competence Center in June of 2024 in Halle an der Saale, Germany. Representing an investment of over €100 million, the next-generation facility enables the large-scale production of active ingredients based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). The building spans a total floor area of 79,653 sf and accommodates four new lines supported by advanced infrastructure, including 17,222 sf of glass-enclosed cleanroom space for bioprocessing under controlled conditions. 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center began construction in June of 2024 on the Applied Gene and Cell Therapy Center in Sharonville, Ohio. The $60 million project will transform an existing structure into a catalyst for innovative clinical trials. Designed by BHDP Architecture, the 111,000-sf facility will advance the development, testing, and manufacture of new medicines and biological therapies.

Sanofi opened a 20,000-sf biomanufacturing center in May of 2024 in Toronto. Producing adult and pediatric vaccines for pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus, the project significantly increases capacity to meet growing demand in Canada and around the world. The next-generation facility features advanced bioprocessing suites supported by highly efficient infrastructure. Commissioning is currently under way, with full operations slated to commence in mid-2025.

AstraZeneca is planning to construct a US$1.5 billion facility in Singapore for the manufacture of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). Enabling the creation of precision cancer therapies, the project will integrate every stage of the ADC production process at commercial scale. The sustainably designed building is slated to achieve net-zero operational carbon and will leverage advanced infrastructure to achieve optimal energy performance. Completion is expected in 2029. A site for the greenfield development has yet to be determined. 

Siemens Healthineers—a spinoff of Siemens that focuses exclusively on healthcare equipment, solutions, and services—has begun construction on a £250 million ($314 million) facility in the United Kingdom to research and manufacture a breakthrough sustainable design for MRI superconducting magnets that reduces the need for helium from 1,500 liters (more than 396 gallons) to a single liter (just over a quart). 

Merck celebrated the beginning of construction for the $325 million Advanced Research Center in April of 2024. Located on the company's Darmstadt headquarters campus in Germany, the biopharmaceutical innovation facility will accelerate the development of novel processes and materials for the production of antibodies, recombinant proteins, and viral vectors. The flexible structure will also drive advances in pharmaceutical purification, formulation, and analytical chromatography.

Savannah River National Laboratory is constructing the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Designed by Page and STOA Architects, the $50 million facility will enable the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management to engage in shared discovery with academic institutions, industry partners, and government agencies at the city, state, and federal level.

The University of Delaware broke ground in April of 2024 on the Securing American Biomanufacturing Research and Education (SABRE) Center. The $150 million facility will enhance the R&D capabilities of the adjacent National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) while driving the creation of a skilled workforce. Serving as a living laboratory for the formulation of best practices, the 70,000-sf building is envisioned as a place to scale up and mature new production methods.

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies is constructing a $3.2 billion pharmaceutical campus in Holly Springs, N.C. Integrating sophisticated automation technologies, the multi-building development will enable large-scale cell culture manufacturing for the creation of bulk drug substances. Ground was broken in October of 2021 on the first phase, a $2 billion production center slated for completion in early 2025. A subsequent investment of $1.2 billion will establish an additional 425,000-sf plant that will begin operations in 2028.

Lonza is investing $1.2 billion to purchase a pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Vacaville, Calif. Presently occupied by Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche, the 427,000-sf complex provides a total bioreactor capacity of approximately 330 liters. Lonza is offering employment to 750 personnel at the site, which will continue to supply its current products at a committed volume of 30 percent throughout 2025.