The Alice L. Walton Foundation is planning to establish a new STEM-focused university in Bentonville, Ark. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Polk Stanley Wilcox, the 422,000-sf campus will be built on the former site of the Walmart Home Office and will encompass a trio of leading-edge buildings. A makerspace spanning 130,614 sf will drive discovery while showcasing physical experimentation and rapid prototyping to the wider community.
TerraPower Isotopes broke ground in May of 2026 on the Bellwether Laboratory in Philadelphia. Combined with the company’s expanding presence in Everett, Wash., the $450 million radioisotope manufacturing center will increase global production capacity for actinium-225 (Ac-225) by twentyfold to support the next generation of life-saving cancer therapies.
Colorado State University is constructing the Advanced Technology Lasers for Applications and Science (ATLAS) facility in Fort Collins. The $160 million building will enable research in fusion energy, fundamental science, and advanced materials characterization to solve pressing challenges related to clean energy.
Pfizer opened an oncology research and development center in May of 2026 on the Torrey Heights campus in San Diego. Designed by DGA, the 230,000-sf facility will accelerate the creation of groundbreaking medicines for gastrointestinal, hematologic, thoracic, breast, and genitourinary cancers. Supporting a broad pipeline of innovative biologics, the leading-edge complex features specialized laboratories dedicated to small-molecule drugs, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and multispecific antibodies.
Princeton University broke ground in May of 2026 on a comprehensive expansion and renovation project that will create a unified home for the Department of Computer Science. Designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners alongside Shepley Bulfinch, Eric and Wendy Schmidt Hall will catalyze innovative computational thought that unlocks new frontiers of learning and drives the discovery of vital solutions with real-world impact.
The University of Houston officially began construction on the Innovation Hub in April of 2026. Designed for seamless connectivity by Page (now part of Stantec), the 78,000-sf facility will house the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, the Energy Transition Institute, and the Dakri Center for Economic Inclusion. Advanced laboratory space for science and engineering will enable critical work in fields such as health, energy, security, and sustainability.
The University of San Diego broke ground in May of 2026 on the Shiley STEM Initiative Building to drive excellence in education and research. Designed by Gensler, the 70,000-sf facility will feature labs for biomedical engineering, robotics, neuroscience, and food science, as well as a medical device lab for prototype development. Flexible instructional venues will be accompanied by teaching labs, maker spaces, and a lecture auditorium.
Unilever is planning to construct a global innovation center in New Haven, Conn., to drive expansion in the U.S. market. Focusing on beauty, personal care, and wellbeing brands, the 200,000-sf facility will be fully AI powered and leverage the latest technologies including quantum computing and machine learning to accelerate the scaling of product development.
The Applied Research Institute (ARI) broke ground in May of 2026 on a headquarters and biomanufacturing training center for Heartland Bioworks in Indianapolis. Located in the 16 Tech Innovation District, the $24.3 million facility will advance workforce development by enabling hands-on learning opportunities for the specialized skills needed to fuel the state’s rapidly expanding life sciences economy.
The University of West Florida broke ground in April of 2026 on an advanced intelligence, cybersecurity, and engineering research facility in Pensacola. Building 129, also known as the Synapse, was designed by Caldwell Architects and Perkins&Will to serve as the base for the Center for Computational Intelligence and the Center for Cybersecurity and AI.
Harwell's 70,000-sf speculative laboratory complex at its Science and Innovation Campus in the United Kingdom reached practical completion in May of 2026. Designed by Scott Brownrigg, Tech Foundry 3 comprises six mid-tech units ranging upwards in size from 5,800 sf that can accommodate advanced and industrial manufacturing settings, R&D space, and both wet and dry laboratories. These flexible, self-contained units offer private entrances, grade-level access loading doors, and a minimum clear internal height of 32 feet.
The University of California, Berkeley held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in May of 2026 to celebrate the approaching completion of the Barbara and Gerson Bakar Gateway building. The $557 million facility will house the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS) and bring together approximately 1,325 faculty, students, and staff to elevate education and accelerate AI-driven discovery.
The University of Nevada, Reno is constructing a $75 million facility to expand capacity for the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory (a branch of the School of Public Health). Designed by Van Woert Bigotti, the 55,000-sf building will offer flexible laboratories, dedicated research and screening environments, and specialized containment areas including a BSL-3 lab. A new toxicology program will focus on substance abuse issues. Sophisticated conference rooms will be accompanied by collaboration spaces and staff offices.
The University of Louisville broke ground in April of 2026 on the Health Sciences Building to advance discovery and provide the critical infrastructure needed to prepare the next generation of healthcare providers in Kentucky and beyond. Designed by Champlin | EOP and Perkins&Will, the $280 million facility will act as a nexus for the schools of medicine, nursing, public health, information sciences, and dentistry.
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.
