Research and Development

Rice University broke ground in July of 2019 on The Ion in Houston. Fostering the creation of new digital technologies, the $110 million project includes the renovation of a former Sears building to create a 270,000-sf innovation hub for data sciences research initiatives. Designed by Gensler, SHoP Architects, James Carpenter Design Associates, and James Corner Field Operations, the center will offer event spaces, meeting rooms, business incubation suites, dining venues, and entertainment amenities.

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes completed construction in July of 2019 on a 20,000-sf production facility in Beloit, Wis. Featuring the company's RadioGenix® System, the project features state-of-the-art dissolution and source vessel filling equipment for the processing of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) to support the creation of technetium-99m (Tc-99m) for diagnostic imaging applications. The facility also houses a quality control lab, an automated packaging line, and an advanced molybdenum recycling complex.

The University of Cambridge will break ground in November of 2019 on the Heart and Lung Research Institute in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Sited adjacent to the Royal Papworth Hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the facility will accommodate 380 academic and industry scientists engaged in the discovery of new therapeutics and diagnostic tools for cardiovascular conditions.

NeoGenomics will break ground in late 2019 on a $55 million oncology laboratory and global headquarters facility in Fort Myers, Fla. Designed by Studio Plus, the 150,000-sf facility will provide the comprehensive cancer diagnostics company with research and administrative space for up to 575 employees. Located on a 14-acre parcel, the building will support clinical trials of new oncology therapeutics with a state-of-the-art molecular lab with next-generation sequencing capabilities.

Swansea University is planning to construct the £30 million Center for Integrative Semiconductor Materials in Wales in the United Kingdom. The three-story, 46,500-sf facility will house cleanrooms, labs, and offices to support the creation of advanced semiconductor materials, processes, and technologies. Located on the Bay Campus, the multidisciplinary project will integrate manufacturing, research, and development operations as well as offering business incubation and workforce development opportunities.

The University of Saskatchewan is building the $45 million Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon, Canada. The multi-sport facility will include a community ice rink, a gymnasium with two full-size basketball courts, locker rooms, lounges, therapy rooms, and a 2,500-seat hockey bowl with room for an additional 1,000 fans. The project will feature the $2 million Ron and Jane Graham Sport Science and Health Centre, a performance research facility supporting athlete conditioning, education, nutrition, injury prevention, and recovery.

Colorado State University broke ground in July of 2019 on the $22 million Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in Fort Collins. Designed by Merrick & Company and BSA LifeStructures, the 41,000-sf research facility will house the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology. The project will provide offices, support space, and BSL-2 labs for the detection and study of arthropod-borne and infectious diseases.

Komatsu Mining Corp. is planning to construct a new $285 million headquarters campus in Milwaukee. The project will include an administrative office building with an integrated research center and a company museum. A 430,000-sf manufacturing facility will also be built on the 54-acre site. Groundbreaking will occur in late 2019 with completion expected in 2022. Subsequent phases of development may include the expansion of both structures and the construction of a second manufacturing building.

Eastern Michigan University is engaged in a $40 million renovation of Sill Hall in Ypsilanti. Featuring highly adaptable infrastructure for optimal flexibility, the $40 million project will create sophisticated laboratories and experiential learning environments for the College of Engineering and Technology.

Nexus Pharmaceuticals will begin construction in August of 2019 on a $250 million manufacturing complex in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. The multi-phase project will be delivered over the next ten years, enabling Nexus to expand its production capacity for sterile injectable drugs. The first phase comprises an $85 million manufacturing building featuring an advanced isolator system and multiple lyophilization machines. The three-story, 84,450-sf structure was designed by Integrated Project Services and will be built by Turner Construction.

The University of Illinois at Chicago is planning to build the $96 million Computing, Design, Research and Learning Center. Designed by Booth Hansen to support new instructional paradigms, the 168,000-sf facility will provide auditoria, lecture halls, dry research labs, interdisciplinary student design space, faculty and staff offices, and collaboration areas. The Department of Computer Science will be housed in the building, which will feature flexible classrooms comprised of modules that can be easily adapted to accommodate diverse class sizes and types.

Eli Lilly and Company is building a 45,000-sf headquarters facility in Basingstoke in the United Kingdom. Located in the Basing View Enterprise Zone, the project is being built by Muse Developments with Morgan Sindall Construction as general contractor. Designed by TP Bennett, the facility will provide open offices, conference rooms, and collaboration spaces to support the production of Eli Lilly's innovative pharmaceutical therapies. The leased building will be owned by the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

The term “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4IR) was coined in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, to describe the exponential transformation society and commerce are experiencing due to converging breakthroughs in numerous fields, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, the internet of things (IoT), and quantum computing. While this latest advancement is to some degree an extension of the third revolution (aka: The Digital Revolution), 4IR is considered a new era because of the unprecedented speed, scope, and systems impact of the coming changes. It is evolving at an exponential rate rather than a linear one and is expected to disrupt entire systems of production, management, transportation, and governance on a global scale. In response, a new breed of interdisciplinary research facility is emerging, as academic institutions try to anticipate training students for the unforeseen demands of the 4IR.

Tergus Pharma began construction in July of 2019 on a cGMP commercial manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. An existing 100,000-sf building will undergo renovation to become the company's headquarters, providing production suites, laboratories, offices, packaging lines, and a GMP warehouse. The $35 million project will also include a clinical trial materials manufacturing space and suites for the creation of high-potency compounds and hormones. Completion is expected in early 2020.

Purdue University will begin construction in spring of 2020 on the $140 million Gateway Complex in West Lafayette, Ind. Designed by BSA LifeStructures and Ennead Architects, the multidisciplinary project will provide instructional labs, design studios, collaboration spaces, and active learning environments for the College of Engineering and the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.