Manufacturing

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.

Nokia unveiled a state-of-the-art campus for R&D and manufacturing in September of 2025 in Oulu, Finland. Spanning 592,015 sf, this dynamic innovation hub will design, test, and deliver 5G and 6G radio networks built for artificial intelligence. The bipartite project comprises eight floors of flexible office space and a two-story factory for industrial production. Laboratories equipped with advanced technologies provide both simulated and real-world field verification environments to accelerate network evolution.

Designing and building labs in the unlikely and constrained location of the prestigious Pacific Design Center (PDC) with Hollywood as a backdrop is a daunting task, requiring adherence to quality expectations, facilities management guidelines in a non-research environment, separation from existing high-end tenants, and compliance with infrastructure requirements. Cedars-Sinai, one of the largest nonprofit medical centers in the U.S., accepted the challenge after deciding to expand its research portfolio. Growing beyond its limited campus is necessary to accommodate the rapid growth of its research facilities and to aid in recruiting top scientists by providing innovative facilities with optimum resources. Hospital officials looked a half mile from their campus to the PDC, a designated cultural resource building complex designed by Cesar Pelli in the 1970s. Known in the 1980s and 1990s as a vibrant hub of premier art, design, and architectural showrooms, many of the tenants now have online shops rather than physical space in the cluster of buildings, leaving vacancies available for lease and an opportunity for Cedars-Sinai’s growth.

Savannah River National Laboratory opened the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) in August of 2025 on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken.

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.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will begin construction in late 2025 on the first phase of Exploration Park in Houston. Developed by the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) and Griffin Partners, the dynamic ecosystem will provide up to 22 facilities with leasable environments for commercial space innovation. Build-to-suit options will range from 50,000 sf to 250,000 sf, with multi-tenant structures offering footprints of 15,000 sf to 100,000 sf.

Advanced manufacturing (AM) experts say companies around the country that are currently trying to build up their AM capabilities are held back by three things: experience with cutting-edge AM equipment, experts who can show how to take full advantage of such equipment’s capabilities, and highly trained workers who have the skills to operate the equipment. Administrators at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla hope to fill all three gaps with the help of a new facility they call The Missouri Protoplex. 

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.

Harwell began construction in early 2025 on Tech Foundry West in the United Kingdom. This dynamic nexus is rising on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire and will offer 70,000 sf of leasable laboratory, advanced manufacturing, and office space. Designed by Scott Brownrigg, the development integrates individual units within a flexible layout to ensure future adaptability to varying multi-tenant arrangements.

Siemens Mobility will begin construction in early 2025 on a £100 million innovation center for rail infrastructure in Chippenham, U.K. Designed by Arup and AHR, the digitally enabled complex will provide world-class R&D labs for the creation of novel transit solutions. Integrated research, testing, and factory environments will accelerate the production of the next generation of signaling and control systems for the United Kingdom.

The University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre finished construction in November of 2024 on an open-access innovation facility for aerospace R&D in the United Kingdom. Expanding the capabilities of the adjacent Factory 2050, the 29,700-sf structure will initially house the Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) initiative. An expansive factory environment will enable academic, government, and industry partners to work side-by-side, complemented by individual workshops and ancillary spaces.

The Canadian Centre for Advanced Material Manufacturing (CCAM) opened in Mississauga in fall of 2024. The transformation of the existing building was designed by the Canada FIRST joint venture, a collaboration between HOK, Architecture49, and WSP. The ambitious project represents the first milestone in the Laboratories Canada program, a strategic initiative by the federal government aimed at modernizing and enhancing science facilities across the nation.

The University of Maine broke ground in October of 2024 on the $81 million Green Engineering and Materials (GEM) building in Orono. Designed by SMRT Architects & Engineers and Grimshaw Architects, the 50,000-sf project will house the Factory of the Future, a test bed for large-format additive manufacturing. Academic spaces for the Maine College of Engineering and Computing will be collocated with active research environments, offering unique opportunities for immersive learning.