Research and Development

The Texas A&M University System opened the STEM Education and Research Center in March of 2026 on the RELLIS Campus in Bryan. Designed by PBK Architects, this dynamic hub for applied science unites academic programming with innovation to accelerate the translation of breakthroughs into next-generation technologies. The $43.4 million facility provides students with unique opportunities for hands-on learning as they engage in shared discovery with researchers and industry partners.

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.

Clemson University opened the Advanced Materials Innovation Complex in February of 2026 in Clemson, S.C. The $130 million building is the university's most technologically advanced facility to date and will enable the workforce of the future to gain hands-on experience in next-generation manufacturing processes.

Dallas County Health and Human Services opened its new Public Health Laboratory in March of 2026. Strategically sited in the Southwestern Medical District, the $52 million facility offers state-of-the-art environments for the detection and mitigation of infectious agents and toxins. The 67,000-sf building centralizes lab services previously dispersed in several locations while significantly increasing capacity for testing, disease surveillance, and emergency response.

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 Oklahoma (OU) is constructing the Life Sciences Laboratories Building in Norman to expand its research capacity while addressing a crucial need for teaching labs tailored to the evolving demands of biology and chemistry education. Designed by CannonDesign and Miles Architecture, the $100 million project will provide 25 modern lab classrooms and a 250-seat lecture hall on the ground floor, with approximately 80,000 sf of the 105,000-sf structure dedicated to undergraduate learning.

AbbVie is planning a $380 million expansion of its headquarters campus in North Chicago, Ill. Construction will begin in spring of 2026 on two plants for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Enabling the creation of innovative treatments for neurological conditions and obesity, the next-generation facilities will integrate advanced manufacturing technologies with artificial intelligence (AI) to maximize purity, efficacy, and operational efficiency. Full production is expected to commence in 2029.

Johnson & Johnson is investing over $1 billion to create a next-generation cell therapy manufacturing facility in Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. The state-of-the-art hub is part of a $55 billion commitment to expand the company’s infrastructure and capacity in the United States by early 2029, and supports plans to produce the vast majority of J&J’s innovative medicines domestically to meet the needs of U.S. patients.

The University of Miami Health System is transforming cancer care and research in South Florida with the opening of the Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building. Representing an investment of over $250 million, the state-of-the-art facility was designed by HOK to seamlessly integrate biomedical discovery with world-class patient treatment. The 244,000-sf structure doubles the footprint of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and provides the Miller School of Medicine with leading-edge research environments for collaborative team science.

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.

The University of Toronto is planning to construct the James and Louise Temerty Building on its St. George Campus to provide the Temerty Faculty of Medicine with modern, collaborative environments for discovery and learning. Standing 11 stories high with two basement levels, the 398,000-gsf facility will offer multiple floors of wet and dry laboratories for interdisciplinary research that will be shared with the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Department of Cell & Systems Biology.

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.

Novartis broke ground in February of 2026 on the Biomedical Research Center in San Diego. This nexus for innovation will enable end‑to‑end discovery across key disease areas and technology platforms, joining seamlessly with existing sites including Cambridge, Mass., and Basel, Switzerland. Representing an investment of $1.1 billion, the 466,000-sf facility will drive advances in neuroscience, global health, regenerative medicine, and oncology and age-related diseases.

Roche will expand its leased presence on Harvard University’s Enterprise Research Campus from 30,000 sf to 100,000 sf in Breakthrough Properties’ One Milestone property in Boston. Located in the thriving Allston neighborhood, the Roche Genentech Innovation Center will bring together cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism experts with data science and AI specialists to accelerate drug discovery and development. Construction is nearly complete and phased occupancy will commence in mid-2026.