The UK Atomic Energy Authority will begin construction in 2015 on the $26.2 million Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) facility in Abingdon in the United Kingdom. Located at the Culham Science Centre, the 32,300-sf project will provide advanced R&D labs for the creation of robotic technologies for nuclear, aerospace, construction, mining, and marine applications. Completion is expected by early 2016.
Merck will begin construction in August of 2014 on a 430,000-sf pharmaceutical production plant in Shanghai. The $107 million facility will manufacture drugs for diabetes as well as thyroid and heart conditions. Completion is expected in 2016 and commercial production will begin in 2017.
Emerson Climate Technologies will begin construction in October of 2014 on a 40,000-sf facility located on the University of Dayton campus. The Innovation Center will support the development of advanced heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) technologies and will house up to 50 employees. The construction cost of the facility is approximately $20 million with a total project cost of between $35 million and $40 million.
Purdue Pharma Manufacturing will build a 188,000-sf production plant in the Treyburn Corporate Park in Durham, N.C. The project will provide cleanrooms with epoxy-coated floors, walls, and ceilings for the manufactucture of oral solid dosage products. The facility will also include offices, labs, conference rooms, and training areas. The general contractor is KBR Building Group. The facility is part of Purdue Pharma's planned $59 million investment in the Durham site over the next three years.
Microelectronics manufacturer Entegris completed construction in July of 2014 on the $30 million i2M Center for Advanced Materials in Bedford, Mass. An existing building was renovated to create an 80,000-sf R&D facility housing cleanrooms, labs, production and assembly space, and offices. BIM (Building Information Modeling) was leveraged in the delivery of the the project, which included installation and coordination of new building systems for HVAC, electrical, fire protection, gas detection, and laboratory utilities.
NanoViricides has completed its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Shelton, Conn. Designed by Id3A, the renovation project created research labs, offices, and cGMP cleanroom suites for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in an existing 18,000-sf facility. MPH Engineering was the project manager and engineering consultant. Construction began on the facility in August of 2013 and validation commenced in June of 2014.
The University of Manitoba is partnering with Magellan Aerospace to create the Advanced Satellite Integration Facility. The 6,000-sf ASIF will be located at Magellan's Winnipeg site and will be jointly funded and operated with the University. The project will support the simultaneous assembly, integration, and testing of up to three satellite buses, and will also serve as a training center for satellite engineering and production.
WuXi PharmaTech broke ground in May of 2014 on a production facility for cell therapies in Philadelphia. The 45,000-sf clinical and commercial manufacturing project will feature flexible cleanrooms in a modular building design. Located in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the cGMP facility is expected to begin production in the second quarter of 2015.
GE Aviation will begin construction in June of 2014 on a $100 million jet engine production facility in Lafayette, Ind. Accommodating up to 200 employees, the 225,000-sf project will feature advanced assembly line technologies including radio frequency parts management and automated visual inspection services. The facility will support production of the new CFM International LEAP engine and is strategically sited to foster collaboration with Purdue University. Occupancy is expected in 2016.
Novartis opened a $200 million facility in Singapore in April of 2014. Located in the Tuas Biomedical Park, the 330,000-sf building will accommodate pharmaceutical manufacturing operations for Novartis’ Alcon eye care division. The facility will support the production of drugs for glaucoma, allergies, and other conditions.
Pfizer opened the $30 million New Product Technology Laboratory in May of 2014 in Ireland. Located at Pfizer’s Ringaskiddy campus, the facility will produce advanced therapeutics for cancer, high cholesterol, and related health conditions.
Grifols’ North Fractionation Facility in Clayton, N.C., has been named the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) 2014 Facility of the Year for Project Execution. Fluor provided integrated engineering, procurement, construction management, and front-end qualification for this 150,000-sf blood plasma fractionation facility, which was built using modular construction techniques to meet an aggressive construction schedule, incorporate new centrifuge technology, and expand existing plant utilities.
The University of Birmingham broke ground in March of 2014 on the $100 million High Temperature Research Centre in Coventry in the United Kingdom. Created in partnership with Rolls-Royce, the 62,431-sf advanced manufacturing research facility will provide laboratories for the casting, design, and simulation of aerospace engine components such as turbines. The center will also support collaborative education and research with other academic and industry partners.
The Energy Production Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, brings together the traditional disciplines of civil, environmental, computer, and electrical engineering in a collaborative, innovative research and teaching community. Activities are focused on the development of energy and power production, from microchip fabrication and development of new structural materials to solar and wind power.
The University of Connecticut began construction in June of 2015 on the 119,000-sf Innovation Partnership Building in Storrs. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the $170 million project will provide flexible laboratories to support collaborative R&D with industry partners in advanced manufacturing, materials science, cyber infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.
