The Auburn Research and Technology Foundation (ARTF) broke ground in April of 2026 on a $22 million facility for Auburn University's RFID Lab in Alabama. The 100,000-sf building was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood to meet the growing demands of innovation, research, and collaboration in advancing the development of radio frequency identification technologies.
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), which ranks 11th in the nation in research expenditures, the question of how to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into research facilities is no longer theoretical—it is urgent. The institution operates a vast and diverse research enterprise across multiple buildings. That scale, combined with rapid shifts in federal science policy, has prompted a fundamental reassessment of how research infrastructure is designed, operated, and managed.
The University of Utah Health dedicated the James LeVoy Sorenson Center for Medical Innovation in April of 2026 in Salt Lake City. Designed by VCBO Architecture, the $50 million facility will foster hands-on discovery, bridge connections between academia and industry, and accelerate the translation of leading-edge science into improved patient outcomes. The 60,000-sf building houses an ISO 8-compliant cleanroom, as well as advanced prototyping and assembly labs with the latest equipment for rapid design and fabrication.
Ford Motor Company is planning to repurpose its former Product Development Center as part of the 3.3 million-sf World Headquarters Complex in Dearborn, Mich. The transformed facility, to be known as World Headquarters South, will provide a modern workplace for 5,000 employees. Existing studios will be converted into flexible, double-height environments accommodating laboratories, vehicle testing operations, and prototyping.
Texas A&M University broke ground in April of 2026 on the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute on the RELLIS campus in Bryan. Designed by Stantec, the $226 million research and development building aims to elevate regional leadership in the industry and advance next-generation discoveries. The collaborative 80,000-sf structure will feature Class 100 and 1000 cleanrooms modeled after fabrication facilities to enable full-scale production.
Aviva Investors completed construction in April of 2026 on a 56,000-sf life sciences facility in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Located in the Chesterford Research Park, the Sidney Sussex Building houses 10 individual R&D suites that range upwards from 2,245 sf in size and offer wet labs, open office environments, and write-up areas. BCR Infinity Architects designed the flexible structure to be scaleable, providing the ability to combine units to accommodate unique tenant requirements and support growth.
Procter & Gamble is creating a new R&D facility for subsidiary firm Gillette in South Boston. Representing an investment of nearly $1 billion, the nine-story building with feature the Technical Innovation Center as well as serving as the headquarters for Gillette's grooming business. The 324,315-sf structure was designed by Payette as an integrated destination for research, engineering, product development, and administration, uniting operations currently spread over the company’s 31-acre campus.
From cortisone to CAT scans, the future of medicine has often arrived first at the Mayo Clinic. The tradition continues today with the fit-up of a new headquarters for regenerative biotherapeutics adjacent to the research center’s Rochester, Minn., campus. The fourth floor of the recently built Discovery Square building, Two Discovery Square, had been earmarked originally for office space, but after COVID hit, the developer offered the opportunity to convert some of the office space to laboratory space. Mayo Clinic had been planning to build a Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics and saw an opportunity to lease the 18,000-sf space at Discovery Square and convert it for this cutting-edge biomanufacturing facility.
CordenPharma Colorado is partnering with BioMed Realty to expand its peptide development capabilities in Boulder with the lease of a 64,000-sf facility in Flatiron Park. Located near the CDMO’s large-scale peptide manufacturing hub, the state-of-the-art building will accommodate process development and analytical services, enabling seamless integration of advanced peptide API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) creation from production to commercialization.
Carnegie Mellon University celebrated the opening of the $100 million Robotics Innovation Center (RIC) in late February of 2026. Located at Hazelwood Green, the site of a former steel mill in Pittsburgh, the 150,000-sf facility embodies the evolution of that industrial heritage by uniting programs in robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence under one roof. Perkins Eastman's vision for the three-story structure created flexible high-bay research spaces and R&D venues that can address robotic systems at different scales.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) began construction in February of 2026 on the Center for Cybersecurity Research, Education & Advanced Training. Designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the $48 million project will transform the Bevill Center, a hotel and conference venue, into an interdisciplinary nexus for collaboration, learning, and discovery.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) is constructing the $145 million Healthcare Delivery & Innovation Building to provide leading-edge environments for immersive learning, training, and discovery. Shaped by the architectural expertise of RDG Planning & Design and Clark & Enersen, the 160,000-sf facility will enable the next generation of medical professionals to gain hands-on experience in the delivery of team-based care.
The University of California, Los Angeles is constructing the UCLA Research Park to create an engine of innovation and economic growth for Southern California and beyond. The visionary project is transforming the former Westside Pavilion shopping mall into a dynamic destination where basic scientists join with industry experts to advance discovery and commercialization. Acquired by UCLA in December of 2023, the property encompasses more than 1.3 million gsf on 9.2 acres, with two main buildings spanning a total of 700,000 sf connected by an enclosed pedestrian bridge.
JLL has announced the availability of a 235,000-sf Class A R&D facility in Suffern, N.Y., for sale and/or lease on behalf of Regeneron, a biotechnology company based in Westchester County. Designed by HLW, 1 Avon Place is purpose-built for research and development and offers a highly adaptable layout supported by existing lab, office, and robust technical infrastructure.
To maximize scientific synergies and encourage innovation, The Sherwin-Williams Company made the decision to combine two of its largest R&D organizations into a new global R&D center in Brecksville, Ohio. The 600,000-sf facility, named the Morikis Global Technology Center, began hosting some 900 Sherwin-Williams employees—including chemists, engineers, technicians, and support teams—upon opening in December 2025. One of the big goals is to take people from disparate business units that have been historically scattered across multiple buildings and bring them together into a space designed to maximize collaboration and spark creativity.
