Industry News

The United Kingdom’s Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) released £397 million in research facility funding in July of 2008. The Large Facilities Capital Fund awards include:

Stanford Medical Center is planning to construct a $2 billion replacement hospital in Palo Alto, Calif.  The seven story, 1.1 million-sf facility is slated for occupancy in 2015. Housing a total of 600 beds, the facility will meet state seismic safety requirements and will be designed with the flexibility to accommodate future medical technologies. The new hospital will include a Level 1 trauma center, an expanded emergency room, and positive pressure nursing units for the minimization of airborne contaminants.

Aspen Aerogels opened a $30 million manufacturing and production facility in East Providence, R.I., in July of 2008. The 150,000-sf project will be followed by two additional expansion phases at the East Providence campus. Aspen Aerogels, headquartered in Northborough, Mass., is a maker of aerogel thermal insulation products used in military and industry applications and hydrocarbon technologies.

Dow Water Solutions, part of The Dow Chemical Company, will construct the Water Technology Development Center in Tarragona, Spain. The $15 million facility will support research and development for Dow's membrane, ultrafiltration, and desalination technologies to create sustainable water supplies. The center is slated for occupancy by year-end 2009 and will house 25 researchers. Acciona Agua will design and build the facility.

The University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville will break ground on the $26 million West Pavilion cardiovascular facility on July 24, 2008. The four-story tower will house inpatient care for the hospital’s Heart Lung Vascular Institute. The project will include endoscopy labs, an expanded medical library, patient conference center, and lobby. The tower will connect to existing surgical suites and cardiac catheterization labs. Completion is slated for early 2010.