Gilead Sciences is building an AI-enabled lab in Foster City, California, as the first part of a $32bn investment scheme that includes a number of a new high-tech Industry 4.0 constructions. Due to open in 2026, the site will drive oncology and inflammation research while boosting US biopharma growth.
In sum – what to know:
AI-enabled lab – pharma firmGilead Sciences is building a five-storey, 182,000 sq ft AI research hub in California.
$32bn investment – the facility is part of a five-year investment plan spanning new and refurbished facilities.
Economic impact – value creation is expected to top $43bn through capital investment and jobs.
US pharmaceuticals firm Gilead Sciences is building an AI factory at its headquarters in Foster City, California. The diggers are in, as of last week, and the facility will open in 2026 as a new ‘technical development centre’ for research of oncology and inflammation drugs. “Everything from autonomous robots to augmented reality and digital twins will be part of the centre,” it said in a statement. The project is part of a $32 billion investment plan in its home market.
The new five-storey facility, covering 182,000 square-feet (17,000 square metres), is billed as “one of the most sustainable and digitally enabled labs in the country”. It will take 18 months to complete, it said – so its full operation will take until the end of 2026 – and will operate as “AI-enabled infrastructure” for 300 chemists, engineers, and scientists. Gilead has promised to deliver more than 10 new “transformational” medicines by the end of the decade.
The firm’s $32 billion plan, across five years to the end of the decade, also covers two more new high-tech research and production facilities and three refurbished manufacturing sites. The plan is to invest in new technology and advance its engineering initiatives, it said. The site at Foster City is a “cornerstone” of the whole scheme. Gilead said it will create around $43 billion in value to the US economy over the period through direct capital and jobs creation.
Stacey Ma, executive vice president of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing (PDM), said: “This new facility… connects research to clinical development to commercialization. This is where our PDM colleagues will turn concepts into reality, molecules into products that benefit patients worldwide… Because we’re in the Bay Area, we can tap into some of the most advanced technology ecosystems in the world to create a hub for collaboration and cutting-edge science.”
She added: “It’s also a statement of commitment: we’re continuing to invest in US-based manufacturing and R&D to fuel future growth… It shows Gilead is committed to innovation and to preserving what makes us unique – our collaborative culture… and reflects our ambition to be industry leaders in biologics, building on our proven strength in small molecules and extending that same excellence into new areas. It’s an exciting moment of possibility.”
Jamie Moore, senior vice president and global head of technical development, said: “Gilead has thrived because of close collaboration between research and process development. That co-location model helped us move quickly and deliver cutting-edge innovation in virology. With the new centre, we will have the opportunity to replicate that success in biologics and build on it in an even more ambitious way. A blank slate means we can hand pick the technology we want, which allows us to leapfrog, creating truly world-class capabilities.”
