Manufacturing

National Research Council Canada opened the Manufacturing and Automotive Innovation Hub in December of 2018 in London, Ontario. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects to promote collaboration and interaction, the flexible facility provides four laboratories, a high crane bay, and two vehicle bays to support the optimization of manufacturing supply chain operations and the development of innovative products and technologies. A 9,200-sf open office environment with abundant natural light is located on the second floor of the 16,740-sf facility.

The Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is planning to create a £66 million research and production facility in the United Kingdom. Located in the Oxford Science Park, the project will support the development and manufacturing of vaccines for clinical trials and epidemic threat mitigation, as well as the creation of gene therapy technologies and personalized medicine solutions.

Mustang Bio completed construction of its 27,000-sf cell therapy manufacturing center in November of 2018. Located in the UMass Medicine Science Park in Worcester, the facility supports the clinical development and commercialization of Mustang's CAR-T and gene therapy product candidates. Accommodating proprietary cell therapy research, the project involved the renovation of labs and offices, as well as the conversion of existing labs to create three cGMP ISO7 clinical production areas.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia completed construction of the $75 million Clinical Vector Core in November of 2018. Located on the basement level of the Colket Translational Research Building, the project provides laboratories, offices, four production suites, and cleanrooms for the manufacture of gene therapy agents for clinical trials. The 15,000-sf facility features robust environmental controls and was built at a cost of $44 million. The Clinical Vector Core is part of the Raymond G.

Morgan Advanced Materials opened the Carbon Science Centre of Excellence in November of 2018 in University Park, Pa. Located in Penn State's Innovation Park, the 30,000-sf building offers flexible laboratories, offices, and light assembly suites for collaborative research with academic and industry partners. The facility will support the development of innovative materials science technologies and applications, including the creation of electrified rail products for sustainable public transportation.

Mary Kay opened the $100 million Richard R. Rogers Manufacturing and R&D Center in November of 2018. Located in Lewisville, Texas, the 453,000-sf facility houses state-of-the-art research labs and manufacturing suites for the creation, testing, and production of cosmetics, skin care products, and fragrances. The project was designed by Jacobs Engineering and will operate as a zero-waste-to-landfill facility. General contractor Beck Construction broke ground on the center in September of 2016.

Axalta Coating Systems opened the $70 million Global Innovation Center in Philadelphia in November of 2018. Located in The Navy Yard development, the two-story, 175,000-sf building houses specialized research and product development labs, collaboration areas, and offices. The structure features a two-story glass façade to maximize daylight while utilizing angled vanes to reduce glare and provide shading.

WuXi Biologics began construction in October of 2018 on its Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Shijiazhuang, China. Providing 48,000 liters of production capacity, the facility will meet international cGMP standards and will utilize disposable bioreactors. WuXi Biologics expects to have over 220,000 liters of manufacturing capacity by 2021.

Octapharma celebrated the opening of a $27 million pharmaceutical R&D facility on its Vienna campus in October of 2018. Designed by ATP to provide optimal flexibility, the six-story, 68,470-gsf structure offers 48,438 assignable square feet of laboratory, office, meeting, and collaboration space. The sustainable facility utilizes advanced building systems with heat recovery technologies. Octapharma is also constructing a $45 million pilot plant at the site which is slated for completion in late 2018.

Uptown Consortium is planning to build the $26 million CoMade innovation hub in Cincinnati. Designed by BDR Design Group, the three-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide leasable space for startup companies engaged in product development and early-stage manufacturing operations. The building will also accommodate integrated job training programs to support the creation of a skilled workforce. Completion is expected by fall of 2020. The construction and land acquisition cost for the project is $21 million. 

Ramaco Carbon began construction in October of 2018 on the Carbon Advanced Materials (iCAM) facility in Sheridan, Wyo. Providing collaborative research space for academic, government, and industry partners, the 10,000-sf building will include a 3D printing and manufacturing suite, a pilot plant, laboratories, and offices. Designed by Dynia Architects, the facility will support the development of advanced products based on the carbon derived from coal. The engineering consultant for the center is WWC Engineering.

General Motors began construction in October of 2018 on the GM Mobility Campus in Toronto. Designed by Quadrangle, the 160,000-sf facility will include R&D space for the creation of urban mobility solutions and a public experience area to showcase new transportation technologies. Vehicle sales and service functions will be located on the lower levels of the structure. Sited on seven acres, the integrated complex is designed as an innovation hub for the automotive industry. 

Rubius Therapeutics began construction in October of 2018 on a $155 million pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Smithfield, R.I. The project includes renovation of an existing 135,000-sf building to create a leading-edge facility for the manufacture of the company's Red Cell Therapeutics product line which includes treatments for cancer and other diseases. The structure, which was formerly owned and occupied by Alexion, will accommodate 160 new employees. 

Blue Origin will break ground in late 2018 on a $200 million manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Ala. Located in the Cummings Research Park, the project will produce the BE-V engine, a critical component of the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket. This technology will enable the United States to have independent access to the International Space Station. The 200,000-sf facility will accommodate up to 342 employees. Other tenants of the Cummings Research Park include NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, and Radiance Technologies.

Ajinomoto Althea is building a 57,000-sf pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in San Diego. Accommodating all stages of development from preclinical production through commercial supply, the project will support the manufacture of highly potent drug products as well as Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs). The facility will enable the safe handling and manipulation of compounds with very low occupational exposure limits (OEL) while maintaining aseptic conditions and cGMP compliance.