A DOSE OF EXPANSION
About 93 miles west of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania’s East Donegal Township, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company GSK has plans to expand its nearly 20-year-old facility. The vaccine packaging plant will welcome $800 million from GSK in a move that marks the company’s largest U.S. investment. The expansion project includes a new 270,000-sq.-ft. research and manufacturing facility, new quality control labs, a vaccine manufacturing plant and a 30,000-sq.-ft. expansion of current buildings on site. The Commonwealth has provided GSK with state grants totaling $21 million, while the project also is expected to receive a10-year property tax break through Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance from the township, school district and Lancaster County. The company plans to welcome its vaccine manufacturing facility by 2027 with the research and manufacturing plant following in 2028.
DATA CENTER FINDS ITS NEST
Artificial intelligence infrastructure startup CoreWeave will invest $1.2 billion to introduce the company’s first data center in New Jersey. To be located at the Northeast Science & Technology (NEST) Center in the borough of Kenilworth, the 280,000-sq.-ft. former Merck global HQ will be transformed into a data center. Real estate firm Onyx Equities, which acquired the site in 2023, will support CoreWeave’s project with a $50 million investment. “We are incredibly excited to open a next-generation data center in CoreWeave’s home state of New Jersey,” said CoreWeave CEO and Co-Founder Michael Intrator. “Governor Phil Murphy’s efforts have helped spur the creation of an AI ecosystem in the state, and CoreWeave’s announcement today underscores that New Jersey is open for AI business.” PSE&G will provide power to the site once operational.
READY FOR MORE CHIPS
Massachusetts-based MKS Instruments has broken ground in Penang, Malaysia, as the company prepares to construct a new semiconductor equipment super factory. The 500,000-sq.-ft. facility aims to grow the region’s wafer fabrication equipment production capacity. MKS will build out the plant in several phases with first phase operations to begin in 2026. “Penang offers an attractive and rapidly growing semiconductor ecosystem and building a significant presence here is part of our strategic and long-term capital planning,” said MKS Instruments President and CEO Dr. John T.C. Lee. “Adding Penang to our global footprint puts us closer to our customers, suppliers and a robust technology infrastructure, including a deep and talented labor pool, as we continue to spur innovation and enhance our capabilities as a leader across a broad array of semiconductor manufacturing applications.” Once construction is complete the company anticipates creating 1,000 new roles in the region.