Sciences

Proximity to tech districts and universities will drive where companies choose an address.

Knowledge spillover doesn’t just happen; it needs face-to-face interaction in the built environment. Researchers, scientists, and startups need to be near top-tier universities, institutions, and each other to leverage resources, enable networking, share knowledge, and attract the best talent.

Large capital investments will make office to lab conversions more frequent, sophisticated, and muscular.

Early-stage biotech and life science companies have avoided new time-consuming lab buildouts in favor of production-ready spec labs that can be operationalized quickly. Conversions from offices have gotten increasingly robust, even offering GMP Suites — facilities compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices standards — to optimize production and efficiently deliver new treatments and products.

Controlling air exchange could yield huge global energy reduction for labs and other energy-intensive buildings.

The average lab uses up to 10 times more energy than the average office building — largely due to air change rate. Challenging existing “one size fits all” ventilation approaches can lower lab Energy Use Intensity with strategies like demand-based systems. Labs could lead the way for other energy-intensive buildings in industries like financial services and hospitality.

AI and IoT will transform labs and offices into intelligent spaces that can operate more efficiently and respond to needs.

Integrating AI and IoT into the fabric of labs has made gathering and analyzing data from lab environments easy. Lab and office layouts can be optimized to reduce waste and streamline workflows by understanding how staff, instruments, equipment, and processes work. Labs designed to be flexible and responsive can keep people working at their best.