JV Marks Major Milestone
London-based investment group SEGRO has announced the company will be pursuing a joint venture with Pure Data Centres (Pure DC) to construct a new 56-megawatt data center in London’s Park Royal region. The over $1.2 billion initiative, named SEGRO Pure Premier Park Data Centre Limited, will represent SEGRO’s first fully fitted data center development. The 322,915-sq.-ft. data center will be constructed on 10 acres of land owned by SEGRO, while Pure DC has secured 70 megavolt-amperes of power to support the site. The project announcement stated that the JV expects to sign a 15-year or longer long-term net lease with a global hyperscaler, although it has not been disclosed which hyperscaler that is. Construction is set to begin in 2026, creating hundreds of new jobs during buildout, with completion slated for 2029.
AstraZeneca also announced a new JV with BioKangtai to develop, manufacture and commercialize vaccines for respiratory and other infectious diseases.
Photo courtesy of AstraZeneca
A Second Dose of R&D Investment
AstraZeneca plans to introduce a second global strategic R&D center in Beijing, over 12 hours north of its first R&D center in Shanghai, China. This announcement marks the company’s sixth global R&D center investment to date. “This $2.5 billion investment reflects our belief in the world-class life sciences ecosystem in Beijing, the extensive opportunities that exist for collaboration and access to talent, and our continued commitment to China,” said AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot. “Our sixth strategic R&D center will partner with the cutting-edge biology and AI science in Beijing and be a critical part of our global efforts to bring innovative medicines to patients worldwide.” The Beijing R&D center will be located in proximity to leading biotechs, research hospitals and the National Medical Products Administration at the Beijing International Pharmaceutical Innovation Park. This project is expected to aid in new research collaborations with expertise from the Beijing Cancer Hospital, Harbour BioMed and Syneron Bio across various study areas.
Hitachi Energy’s project will create 200 new jobs in the region.
Photo courtesy of Hitachi Energy
Energy is Up in Finland
The $180 million Hitachi Energy Park is officially underway in Vikby, located in Finland’s west coast municipality of Mustasaari. Switzerland-based technology company Hitachi Energy announced that the first stone had been laid at the site, as construction of a new 430,500-sq.-ft.-plus production and technology center takes place over the next two years. The project will boost Hitachi Energy’s production capacity for power technology solutions, including a new transformer factory that will help double the company’s production and testing capacity for transformers. “This project, significant for both the Vaasa region and Finland as a whole, showcases strong energy expertise and innovation and demonstrates the unique technology pioneering spirit of the entire region,” said Hitachi Energy Finland Managing Director Matti Vaattovaara. To date, this facility is the company’s largest transformer manufacturing plant.
Maruti Suzuki’s new project investment in India looks to bring total production capacity in the country to 4 million vehicles by 2031.
Photo courtesy of Maruti Suzuki
Made in India
Following an earlier announcement of a $4.2 billion automotive manufacturing investment from Maruti Suzuki in Gujarat, India, the company has returned for more. In March 2025, India’s top vehicle manufacturer revealed that a $864 million investment would be headed to the northern state of Haryana to establish a new manufacturing facility. The project will be the company’s third location in the state and once complete by 2029, all three locations will hold an annual production capacity of 750,000 vehicles. Maruti Suzuki currently exports about 40% of all vehicles in India. These investments are expected to aid the company in meeting rising global demand.
Kingspan Group is officially moving forward on a new facility investment in Ukraine first announced in 2022.
Rendering courtesy of Kingspan Group
Green Light Granted in Lviv
Ireland-based building materials company Kingspan Group has now received long-awaited approval to begin work on a new Building Technology Manufacturing Campus in Ukraine. The $297 million project, which is set to be located in the western city of Lviv, will house production of advanced insulation, energy-efficient building material products and district heating solutions, according to the company. “We’re thrilled to get the greenlight to begin work on the site, which marks a hugely important milestone for us. We were among the first Western businesses to announce plans to invest in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, and we have been fully committed ever since,” said Kingspan Group Ukraine Project Director Mike Stenson. Now that Kingspan has been granted its first building permit the initial phase of construction will soon begin, building out over the next five years. Once complete, the campus will create 700 new jobs.
