Advanced Manufacturing
Recent Features
The Aluminum Smelter That Could Reshape the U.S. Industrial Map
How Oklahoma landed the first new U.S. aluminum smelter in 45 years and why the investment structure matters most.
In Focus: Rethinking Water in Data Center Site Selection
Why the real constraint isn’t always supply—and why the risk is still real.
21st Annual Shovel Awards: The Projects of the Year
The investments that stood apart for their scale, strategic significance, and economic impact — from advanced manufacturing and life sciences to headquarters expansions and AI-powered data centers.
Why Some Utilities Are Now Looking at Flexible Loads
Some utilities are experimenting with flexible-load strategies that could help data centers and manufacturers access capacity faster without waiting years for new generation.
First Person: UCB's $2 Billion Bet on Gwinnett County
For Philippe Mantelet, a $2 billion biologics facility represents more than a capital investment. In this interview, he outlines how UCB approaches site selection — balancing speed, infrastructure, talent, and long-term certainty — to make decisions that hold up well beyond the initial buildout.
Buildings Are Becoming Part of the Competitive Stack
AI is changing how facilities are operated, maintained, and optimized—turning buildings from fixed assets into active participants in business performance.
Rethinking Environmental Review
Why Streamlined Environmental Review Is Now a Strategic Imperative.
What Korean Manufacturers Underestimate About Building in America
U.S. expansion decisions are increasingly won—or lost—before site selection begins. For Korean manufacturers, aligning capital strategy with infrastructure realities has become the defining challenge in executing successful investments.
The Infrastructure Bet: Three Stories About Where American Industry Is Being Rebuilt
Episode 13 of The Site & Facility Planning Podcast explores Oklahoma’s $4B aluminum smelter bet, active infrastructure for grid constraints, and workforce training for clean energy facilities.
Defense Spending Surge Is Reshaping U.S. Industrial Investment
A massive shift is underway in U.S. industrial investment — and it’s being driven by defense.
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
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
In Montgomery County, Maryland, Companies are Shaping the Next Generation of Discoveries
Home to one of the nation’s largest biopharma clusters, Montgomery County is positioning itself for the next era of life sciences innovation.
The AI Arms Race Comes to Your Backyard
The race to build AI infrastructure is no longer just a technology story — it’s a geopolitical one.
AI Isn’t Killing Jobs—It’s Reshaping Hiring
AI isn’t eliminating jobs—at least not yet. But it is quietly reshaping how companies hire, and where those jobs show up.
How AI Is Reshaping the Way Communities Compete for Investment
Why earned media—not websites—is becoming the front door to site selection.
2026 Outlook: Biomanufacturing Isn’t Slowing — It’s Getting More Selective
What looks like a slowdown in biomanufacturing is better understood as a filter. Demand remains, but companies are moving more carefully — aligning new projects with production needs, regulatory realities, infrastructure capacity, and long-term.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Building the Nation's First AI-Ready Workforce
“Charm City” is forging technology partnerships to build an AI workforce equipped to serve every industry.
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.
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.
Powering the Next Generation of Projects
Small modular reactors could help meet surging demand for energy in manufacturing and data centers.
Reclaiming the Launchpad
How Mississippi is turning a federal legacy into a commercial space hub.
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.
