Advanced Manufacturing
Recent Features
How AI Is Reshaping the Way Communities Compete for Investment
Why earned media—not websites—is becoming the front door to site selection.
JLL, InfraPartners Bet Prefab Can Cut AI Data Center Timelines by Up to 22 Months
A new build model overlaps site work and fabrication to accelerate AI infrastructure delivery.
Advanced Manufacturing Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s a Different Location Strategy
Why companies expanding today must rethink labor, sites, and operational resilience.
Industries of the Future Aren’t Speculative Anymore
How federal capital, private investment, and place are quietly reshaping U.S. manufacturing.
The Geography of Packaging: Why Location Strategy Matters More Than Ever
Smarter expansion begins with smarter location decisions — especially as automation, sustainability, and supply chain risk redefine the packaging industry.
In Focus: Korea’s Blueprint for Sustainable U.S. Expansion
Why advanced manufacturers are treating site selection as a long-term business strategy, not a transaction.
The New Industrial Revolution in Biotech
Domestic drug production is becoming a matter of national security, not just market strategy.
The Skilled Trades Are Ready for a Digital Future
AI is freeing skilled tradespeople to focus on craftsmanship, safety, and growth as labor pressures intensify.
Who’s Liable When AI Builds?
Legal risks and the rise of the AI clause in construction contracts.
America’s Aerospace Reboot
Once dominated by legacy clusters, aerospace site selection is evolving rapidly as companies prioritize speed, workforce specialization, and strategic proximity.
Automotive Site Selection Is Evolving as Future Mobility Takes Hold
As the industry accelerates toward electrification and advanced mobility, site selectors and real estate teams are prioritizing adaptable facilities, talent proximity, and logistical readiness over traditional scale.
Nestlé’s Arizona Plant Puts Flexibility, Water Innovation, and Robotics to Work
A lightning-fast build, fully automated systems, and a near-zero-waste water loop make this beverage factory a model for sustainable, high-speed manufacturing.
Summits of Significance: Why Pittsburgh’s AI and Energy Event Could Set a National Precedent
AI. Energy. $90 billion. Pittsburgh’s high-profile summit wasn’t just a photo op—it was a coordinated move to signal site readiness and sector leadership. Here’s why states are turning summits into strategy.
Powering the Next Generation of Projects
Small modular reactors could help meet surging demand for energy in manufacturing and data centers.
How Muskogee Aligned to Win a $1 Billion Lithium Refinery
Targeted infrastructure, homegrown workforce strategies, and transparent community engagement helped bring Stardust Power to town.
How Energy Storage Solves Grid Challenges
Rapid deployment of battery storage solutions solves reliability issues and even provides new revenue streams for industrial operations.
Rewriting the Rules of Warehouse ROI
Embedding automation into leases may offer companies a smarter way to balance risk, cost and productivity.
Data Center Demand Stabilizes Amid Changing Market Forces
Pre-leasing slows, location criteria evolve, and real estate tax structures face pressure from leaner buildouts.
From Silicon to Server: Mapping the Data Center Supply Chain
How suppliers and innovators have powered the explosive growth of America’s data center infrastructure.
U.S. Textile Manufacturers are Building for the Future
Automation and policy incentives could reshape the future of American textile production.
New Rules for the Cloud Rush
What developers need to know about how states are regulating data centers—and utilities are shifting the cost burden.
In Focus: AI Is Changing Incentives Math
Headcount-focused incentives punish evolving companies, payroll helps reward a different kind of growth.
How to Choose the Right Site for Your Factory in 2025’s Volatile Landscape
Why manufacturers should treat site selection as a form of risk management — not just opportunity hunting.
Energy Costs and Constraints Are Reshaping Site Selection in 2025
Surging energy demands, grid instability, and ESG pressures are changing how companies choose new facility locations.
Contributed Content
How Ohio Is Powering America’s Next Industrial Wave
With surging demand, business-friendly legislation and billions in investment, Ohio is building the energy infrastructure that factories, data centers and advanced manufacturers need to grow.
Contributed Content
Kansas: A Faster Path from Aerospace Concept to Commercialization
From advanced air mobility to defense manufacturing, Kansas offers aerospace companies a tightly integrated environment built for execution.
Contributed Content
Potential Energy: Why Power Availability is Driving Site Selection
In today’s economic development landscape, power availability is no longer an item on a checklist — it's often the entire list.
Around the Horn: Advanced Manufacturing’s Next Move
JLL recently launched an Advanced Manufacturing group to meet the moment, and Area Development spoke with group leaders Greg Matter, Vice Chair, Industrials, and Meaghan Elwell, Division President of Global Industrials, to get their real estate playbook for the new era. This conversation has been edited for space and style.
Building the Nation's First AI-Ready Workforce
“Charm City” is forging technology partnerships to build an AI workforce equipped to serve every industry.
First Person: Astrobotic CEO on Building the Lunar Economy
Astrobotic CEO John Thornton says the race to establish sites on the Moon is already underway—and location matters as much as it does on Earth.
Reclaiming the Launchpad
How Mississippi is turning a federal legacy into a commercial space hub.
Contributed Content
Anduril Industries to Build Historic Arsenal-1 Defense Manufacturing Hub in Ohio
The state cements its role in defense innovation with a transformative investment in autonomous weapons manufacturing.
Contributed Content
Michigan Resilience: Global Infrastructure and Smart Investments Power Future Supply Chains
Michigan upgrades ports, invests in tech, and links talent to global trade for smarter, resilient supply chains.
Contributed Content
Wisconsin: A Launchpad for Innovation and Industry
From AI and fusion to biomanufacturing, Wisconsin’s tech economy is attracting global and local bets.
First Person: David Robey, Co-CEO of QTS Data Centers
With QTS rapidly scaling to meet hyperscaler and enterprise demand across North America and Europe, Co-CEO David Robey shares his perspective on site selection, utilities, incentives, and what’s next for the industry. Robey, who previously served as COO, brings a tactical mindset to an evolving set of location priorities.
First Person: Joe Capes, CEO, LiquidStack
LiquidStack CEO Joe Capes on choosing Texas for expansion, working through AI supply chain shocks, and why hot water is the future of cooling.
