High Tech

Mercyhurst University opened the MCPc Cyber Education Center in August of 2018 in Erie, Pa. Accommodating programs for the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences, the $2 million facility houses MCPc's Security Operations Center as well as providing two computer mathematics labs, a cybersecurity lab, and several collaboration areas. Designed by Keyman Asefi, a faculty member in the department of Interior Architecture and Design, the 8,000-sf center is located on the ground floor of Hammermill Library.

To support its cutting-edge research in self-operated machines, the Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST) at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is equipped with several groundbreaking capabilities that set it apart from other engineering research facilities. At the top of the list are a drone testing arena capable of mimicking a full gamut of real-world weather conditions, and a zero-gravity-simulating space lab whose epoxy resin floor has been ground and polished to a final flatness of 0.003 of an inch. Three CAST components—the aerodrome, assembly lab, and the Space Robotics Controls Laboratory (SRCL)—are located in the 1940s-era Kármán building, originally constructed for wartime hydrodynamics research. Working with CO Architects and Matt Construction, Pasadena-based Caltech renovated the bunker-like building to create new types of spaces for cross-campus collaborations in the expanding field of autonomous drones, robots, and satellites, with a focus on practical applications in science, industry, and medicine.

Infineon Technologies is planning to begin construction in mid-2019 on a 646,000-sf semiconductor manufacturing center in Villach, Austria. The company will invest $1.9 billion over six years in the creation of the facility, which will begin producing 300-millimeter wafers by 2021. Accommodating approximately 400 employees, the project will enable Infineon to meet an increased global demand for semiconductors to support the development of electric vehicles, battery technologies, data centers, and renewable energy systems. 

Global consumer electronics company LG Group opened the $3.74 billion LG Science Park in April of 2018 in Seoul, South Korea. Accommodating up to 25,000 employees, the 18-building campus provides 11.9 million sf of flexible research and office space designed to foster collaborative innovation among scientists and staff from multiple disciplines, including nanotechnology, chemistry, fabrication, and life sciences.

NextCorps opened an entrepreneurship hub in Rochester in February of 2018. Located in the Sibley Square building, the project was created by the University of Rochester, the state of New York, and the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Mass Innovation Labs, a provider of life science research space solutions, signed a ground lease in December of 2017 for 54,0000 sf at Innovation Square Seaport (iSQ) in Boston. Located in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, the 375,000-sf iSQ campus is being built by Related Beal, a real estate developer, owner, and operator. Mass Innovation Labs will anchor the first two floors of the multi-tenant facility, which will include coworking spaces and a collaboration center.

While the rapidly growing Internet of Things (IoT) offers tremendous business potential for all types of organizations, it also presents significant new security challenges and privacy concerns. As the number of connected devices grows into the billions, so does the number of risks and exposures through multiple entryways, including building automation systems (BAS). Many of these network-connected devices and applications lack basic security measures because they are rushed to market or deployed rapidly without standard protections. In addition to providing hackers with more opportunities to gain access to corporate networks, exposed IoT devices—some as innocuous as a light bulb—allow hackers to take control over millions of devices at a time and use them to launch large-scale distributed denial of service (DDoS) and other attacks on the internet. This means that, while facility management and operations teams may have the most to gain from IoT platforms and applications, deploying and securing them is now an IT issue.     

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a widely used buzzword that refers to a rapidly growing network of internet-connected devices and sensors that transmit data back to a central repository for rapid analysis. This network generates massive amounts of information that can be used to maximize energy efficiency, optimize space use, reduce costs, and increase operational visibility across all types of facilities and organizations. LED lights with sensors, smart grid meters, intelligent HVAC and security systems, even mobile and body-worn devices, all generate tremendous amounts of data that both humans and computers can use to make better decisions.

Micron Technology opened a $200 million semiconductor research and development facility in Boise in August of 2017. The four-story, 100,000-sf building will feature engineering laboratories with sophisticated manufacturing systems for the production of advanced memory chip technologies. Construction began on the project in October of 2015. Micron is also planning to build a three-story, 225,000-sf office facility on its Boise campus.  

Virtual and augmented reality are bringing new learning experiences to today’s medical students—and their campuses. The building boom is part of a revolution in the way medicine is taught. Today, medical students often learn with sophisticated mannequins, computer models, and collaborative electronic projects. Now, some schools are taking the technology a step further, building immersive environments where the doctors, nurses, and dentists of tomorrow can experience real medical settings and explore human anatomy in three dimensions.

Versum Materials broke ground in May of 2017 on a research and development laboratory in Hometown, Pa. Part of a $20 million expansion of Versum’s chemical manufacturing campus, the project will support the synthesis and purification of molecules to enable the production of organometallic compounds used by the semiconductor industry. The lab will accommodate approximately 30 employees and is expected to open in late 2019.

The $75 million Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center opened in April of 2017 in Kissimmee. Created by the University of Central Florida in collaboration with Osceola County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, the 109,000-sf facility houses the world’s first industry-led smart sensor consortium.

Swansea University began construction in February of 2017 on the £31 million Computational Foundry in Wales in the United Kingdom. Designed by AHR Architects to foster collaboration with industry and academic partners, the interdisciplinary facility will accommodate research and teaching programs in the computational and mathematical sciences. Housing over 150 investigators, the Computational Foundry will provide leading-edge experimental setups, sophisticated R&D labs, prototyping suites, conference rooms, lecture halls, and offices.

The University of Sydney opened the AUD$150 million Sydney Nanoscience Hub in April of 2016. Housing the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology (AINST), the facility features ISO Class 5 and Class 7 cleanrooms to support advanced research in photonics, engineered quantum systems, and energy technologies. Providing core labs as well as teaching space, the Nanoscience Hub accommodates device design, fabrication, and testing in a single location.

CoorsTek began building a $120 million research and manufacturing center in March of 2016 in Golden, Colo. The 300,000-sf facility will provide design labs, testing suites, and production space for the manufacture of ceramic components used in the automotive, defense, and semiconductor industries. The project is being built by Mortenson Construction and is expected to be fully operational by 2018.