Pharmaceutical

Merck opened a filter and membrane manufacturing facility in October of 2025 in Cork, Ireland. Offering 32,291 sf of cleanroom space, the €150 million ($174.5 million) building will meet global demand in the production process of vaccines and life-changing biomedical treatments, including monoclonal antibodies and cell and gene therapies. By locating these expanded manufacturing capacities in Europe, Merck aims to reduce cross-border dependencies and ensure reliable access to critical filtration technologies.

FUJIFILM Biotechnologies opened a $3.2 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in September of 2025 in Holly Springs, N.C. Integrating leading-edge equipment and technologies, the sophisticated development features eight 20,000-liter bioreactors for the production of bulk drug substances and innovative therapies. Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron have signed 10-year contracts to secure space at the 1.3 million-sf campus, which represents the largest end-to-end cell culture CDMO hub in North America. 

The University of Pittsburgh is constructing the state-of-the-art BioForge center in the Hazelwood Green development, a brownfield site site that once accommodated a steel mill. Designed by HOK, the $250 million hub will drive breakthroughs and innovations in the manufacturing of precision biological medicines to improve human health.

Masaryk University (MU) is constructing the MUNI BioPharma Hub to drive excellence in research, education, and innovation in Brno in the Czech Republic. Offering three underground levels and six stories above grade, the 163,504-sf project was designed by Pelčák a partner architekti to combine leading-edge scientific infrastructure with modern academic venues. 

GenesisM, a joint venture between Bain Capital and Botanic Properties, broke ground on a Class A biomanufacturing facility in July of 2025 in Bedford, Mass. Designed by Perkins&Will, the sophisticated development addresses a critical need for purpose-built life sciences infrastructure in the Greater Boston region.

Sanofi opened its new U.S. headquarters in May of 2025 at M Station West in Morristown, New Jersey. Developed by SJP Properties and Scotto Properties, the seven-story, 260,000-sf facility was designed by Gensler to collocate approximately 2,000 employees with leadership roles in business operations, finance, R&D, human resources, technology, general medicines, specialty care, vaccines, and manufacturing and supply.

Gilead Sciences is constructing the Cancer Research Center in Foster City to accelerate the creation of novel solutions for pressing medical challenges. Driven by the company's enterprise master plan, the project is part of a strategic initiative to develop an internal research infrastructure that advances discovery in key focus areas and brings new technological capabilities in-house. The 182,000-sf facility was designed by Gensler to catalyze synergies between 54 clinical programs spanning oncology, inflammation, and virology.

AstraZeneca opened a $300 million cell therapy facility in May of 2025 in Rockville, Md. Developed by Alexandria Real Estate Equites, the 84,264-rsf building features specialized environments for the production of chimeric antigen receptor therapies (CAR-T) and T-cell receptor therapies (TCR-T). Next-generation biomanufacturing suites will leverage advanced process controls to create life-saving personalized medicine treatments, spanning every step from culturing and formulation to testing.

Merck broke ground in April of 2025 on a $1 billion biologics center of excellence in Wilmington, Del. Leveraging sophisticated automation solutions and artificial intelligence technologies, the 470,000-sf facility will offer laboratory, manufacturing, and logistics capabilities. The leading-edge structure will enable the launch and commercial production of next-generation biologics and therapies, including potent antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Roche announced the launch of the Roche Genentech Innovation Center in March of 2025 on Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus in Allston. With an initial lease of 30,000 sf of lab space in the first phase of construction, Roche intends to expand their R&D presence to eventually accommodate 500 employees. The initiative will bring together cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism experts with data science and AI specialists to accelerate innovation in drug discovery and development.

The 2024 SEFA Lab of the Year was awarded to the new Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) Center in Basel, Switzerland, that opened in September 2024 as a state-of-the-art research center dedicated to the discovery and development of groundbreaking drugs. The pRED Center exemplifies the future of transformative research by fostering innovation and collaboration, and embodying Roche’s commitment to advancing global healthcare and delivering life-changing treatments. 

An evolution of the equipment and technology researchers need is transforming ordinary labs into facilities that deserve to be called next-generation or future-ready. Significant changes in space utilization and lab planning and design are driven by increased automation and robotics, the incorporation of manufacturing, enhanced information technology with an emphasis on data collection, ever-evolving technologies, developer core/shell fit-outs, hybrid work patterns, and different approaches to project delivery and construction. 

Moderna completed construction on a £150 million complex in the United Kingdom for the discovery and production of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19 and emerging respiratory health threats. Located on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) comprises two 145,000-sf buildings for research, development, and manufacturing.

BioMed Realty is constructing a 637,000-sf life sciences facility in Cambridge for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Designed by CBT Architects, the 16-story structure will provide advanced lab and office environments to accelerate the creation of innovative therapies and vaccines. Featuring flexible spaces to optimize in-person interaction and connection in a hybrid working model, the leased building furthers Takeda’s goal of unifying their Global R&D Center in Kendall Square.

The past few decades have brought myriad technological changes to our daily lives, and experts predict the pace of change will only increase—especially in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Much of the talk surrounding AI focuses on automating repetitive processes and analyzing data, which require additional computational power but not necessarily structural modifications. But emerging technologies, including AI and robotics, may require universities and companies to rethink their approach to designing and planning buildings and labs.