Industry News

Novo Nordisk will invest up to $100 million to expand its Beijing R&D center in Zhongguancun Life Science Park. The project includes $40 million for the construction of diabetes research laboratories. Completion in expected in late 2011 with occupancy slated for 2012.

The University of St. Andrews opened the £45 million School of Medical and Biological Sciences in Scotland in November of 2010. Providing integrated facilities for research and medical education, the building is designed to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and is connected by a bridge to the school of physics and astronomy. The School of Medical and Biological Sciences includes a 300-seat lecture hall, classrooms, and laboratories for teaching and research. The facility was completed in May of 2010.

IBM’s £44 million nanotechnology laboratory in Rueschlikon, Switzerland, is slated for completion in spring of 2011. Created in partnership with The Swiss Technical University (ETH), the facility will provide 900 sm of cleanroom space and temperature-stable subterranean laboratories protected from vibrations and electromagnetic interference. The building will feature geothermal heating, photovoltaic panels, and a parking garage with a green roof.

General Motors (GM) opened a $230 million flexible engine facility in Talegaon, India, in November of 2010. Construction began on the project in December of 2008. The powertrain manufacturing plant supports simultaneous production of both diesel and gasoline engines. The facility has an initial annual production capacity of 160,000 engines.

Neste Oil opened a €550 million renewable diesel plant in Singapore in November of 2010. The facility has a capacity of 800,000 tons annually and is the largest of its kind worldwide. The plant produces NExBTL biological diesel from animal fats and palm oil. Neste Oil is headquartered in Finland.