Investor Watch: November 20, 2025

A new report card finds that U.S. health care infrastructure might need some remedial help. To improve their grades, some states might look to the home state of ACT and the former Iowa Test of Basic Skills.

SPECIAL REPORT

There’s so much going on in the region we had to break it down into several compelling stories:

A Region Coming Into Its Own: Before a rocket or aircraft lifts off, the standard checklist phrase is “all systems go.” The Greater Phoenix economy has moved on to “light this candle.”

Where the Action Is: The spinoff from attracting semiconductor giant TSMC and its hundreds of billions of dollars of metro Phoenix investment is a case study for rainmaking in the desert.

‘Transformative’ Describes Life Sciences Investments and the Scientific Progress Behind Them: On the same day in March that TSMC added $100 billion to its Arizona plans, Mayo Clinic had its own big news to share: a $1.9 billion investment in its campus as part of a strategy called “Bold. Forward. Unbound.”

Where AI Gets Real: The Greater Phoenix talent quotient figures to grow stronger in the coming years as AI programs and curricula ramp up as fast as the data centers proliferating in the region.

On the Move: In metro Phoenix, novel ways to get from point A to point B start up as frequently as … well … the region’s startups themselves, which have made the region one of the fastest growing startup ecosystems and tech talent hotbeds for next-generation transportation. Just ask Honeywell Aerospace.

VIRGINIA

Virginia is racking up some blockbuster biopharma wins in 2025. At the same time, some sector developments under way today won’t make headlines this year or next. But they’re proof positive that parts of Virginia not yet considered life sciences hubs are working to change that perception. Think Roanoke.

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Quartz’s Catherine Baab reports this week on what the next phase of life might look like for eternal wanderers in “The digital nomad era is over,” a report that says the dream of following the next wifi connection is having the life squeezed out of it by AI, politics and return-to-office policies.

Site Selection’s reporting on the digital nomad phenomenon includes a 2024 report on Dubai’s welcoming environment; a 2022 story on new incentives for the wandering workers landing in Costa Rica; and a 2021 report, “Dislocation, Dislocation, Dislocation,” that reports on a host of resources for digital nomads picking their next location that included Nestpick.com’s Work-from-Anywhere Index.

CASE STUDY

California-based Amgen announced in April that it will invest $900 million to expand its Central Ohio manufacturing facility in New Albany, bringing the total number of jobs created to 750 and the total investment in the Columbus region to over $1.4 billion. We talked to the company’s vice president of site operations about why.

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DSM RFI Ready sites are prime for development and have the documented data needed to inform the site selection process. All RFI Ready sites are located in the Greater Des Moines, Iowa region, which is the fastest growing major metro in the Midwest (U.S. Census). With a cost of doing business that’s 14.6% below the national average (Moody’s Analytics), the region’s business climate makes it a prime location for companies looking to grow.

The DSM RFI Ready program is facilitated by the Greater Des Moines Partnership, which the region’s economic development organization. The Partnership team supports companies through all stages of the project process. Learn more about our services.

The German-American Chamber of Commerce this month highlighted findings from the AHK World Business Outlook report by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), based on more than 3,500 responses from companies in around 90 countries worldwide.

“Despite geopolitical uncertainties, almost 40% of companies rate their current business situation in the U.S. market as good,” says analysis of their outlook on the United States. “Sixteen percent describe their situation as poor. However, compared with spring 2025, the share of companies with a negative assessment has risen by 3%. Nevertheless, the U.S. market continues to serve as an important location for German business activities.” That said, only 24% are currently planning additional investments in the U.S., down from 37% in fall 2024, says the organization’s larger-context global report.

Meanwhile, in China, “only 18% of German companies rate their current situation as good, yet more than a quarter (26%) want to expand their investments — significantly more than in spring,” the report finds. “This is happening partly because market access is linked to local production, but also to leverage China’s considerable innovative strength and access to raw materials to position the company in global competition.”

Photo by Nils Koenning courtesy of JSWD and v2com newswire

Everyone wants to stand out in the marketplace. One building in the heart of Düsseldorf has taken that mission quite literally, thanks to the design work of Cologne-based JSWD, which won a competition launched in 2018 by Hamburg-based developer Becken Development GmbH to redevelop a vacant lot. “The building sits flush with the buildings at its flanks before curving in at the center with an unexpected flourish,” the architects say in a release. “This flowing movement creates a protected forecourt within the building line, highlights the position of the main entrance and ultimately gives the building its name”: The Curve Offices.