Research Triangle Under the Microscope: A Report from our Raleigh Office

Many people regard Boston as the #1 city for life sciences in the U.S. But Research Triangle, which encompasses Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, is not far behind.

“The pandemic revealed just how dependent the U.S. is on foreign nations for the production and distribution of medical supplies. Now there’s a push to bring these capabilities back stateside.”

George Hachem

Like Boston, it is home to leading universities and the headquarters of prestigious companies in biotech and pharmaceuticals. According to George Hachem and Nick Caronna, both of whom are based in Syska’s Raleigh office, life sciences has been thriving in the area for many years, but the COVID-19 pandemic increased the sector’s momentum.

Background

Efforts of politicians, business leaders, and scientists to attract new industries to the area led to the formation of Research Triangle Park (RTP) in 1959. Anchoring the 7,000-acre location were three top universities: Duke, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State. In 1965, IBM decided to build a manufacturing facility in the area, and other prestigious companies soon followed.

Today, RTP is home to companies like GlaxoSmithKline, Nortel Networks, and Cisco Systems. Thanks in large part to RTP’s success, North Carolina has solidified its status as a leader in bioscience and in vaccine research and manufacturing.

“We’re seeing some players that have never been in life sciences before who are coming to us and asking how they can convert their office space into research lab space.”

Nick Caronna

"Thanks in large part to RTP’s success, North Carolina has solidified its status as a leader in bioscience and in vaccine research and manufacturing."

"Many industries struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The opposite was true for life sciences."

Effects of the Pandemic

Many industries struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The opposite was true for life sciences. George, who heads Syska’s life science practice nationally, explains: “The pandemic revealed just how dependent the U.S. is on foreign nations for the production and distribution of medical supplies. Now there’s a push to bring these capabilities back stateside.”

He adds: “People are also turning to biomedical research to prevent future pandemics, and this has spurred additional growth in life sciences.”

Syska’s projects in the area attest to the rapid pace of development in the sector. For example, the Raleigh team is designing HVAC, electrical systems, plumbing, fire protection, and equipment support for a ground-up facility of 140,000 square feet dedicated to filling pandemic vaccines. Syska also led the recent renovation of a center for gene therapy in the area.

Start-ups, too, are flourishing, which has led to many “bench to bedside” projects. “A lot of very smart PhDs spin out of one of the local universities and launch a startup,” says Nick, who serves as the site leader for the Raleigh office. “Eventually the startups are acquired by Pfizer or J&J. We end up designing systems for the newly acquired entities, which typically require a mix of labs and office space.”

“People are also turning to biomedical research to prevent future pandemics, and this has spurred additional growth in life sciences.”

"We end up designing systems for the newly acquired entities, which typically require a mix of labs and office space.”

Traditional office landlords have noted the sector’s rapid rise and are eager to explore possibilities within it. “We’re seeing some players that have never been in life sciences before who are coming to us and asking how they can convert their office space into research lab space,” Nick reports.

Although they applaud the growing interest in life sciences, George and Nick warn newcomers that site design within the sector can be exceedingly complex. “These facilities often require cleanroom environments and specialized materials,” says Nick. “You’ll see a lot of stainless-steel piping and tanks. We have to follow tight regulations on how equipment is installed or scoped. Everything has to be sterile to avoid contamination.”

In the view of George and Nick, the results make the hard work worthwhile. “We have a passion for these projects,” says George. “We know we’re helping to set the scene for scientific breakthroughs of the future.”

“We have a passion for these projects,” says George. “We know we’re helping to set the scene for scientific breakthroughs of the future.”

"Many clients have also expressed interest in Syska’s information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities."

The Raleigh Office: What’s Next

George emphasizes that the Raleigh office does much more than life sciences. The team has done some office fit-outs and is venturing into the healthcare arena. Many clients have also expressed interest in Syska’s information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities.

The office has already experienced rapid growth: It was established less than four years ago and now employs 13 professionals – prompting a recent relocation to a larger space. It wouldn’t surprise George or Nick if they outgrow the new office too. “We’re definitely building the brand, and our client roster is expanding steadily,” says Nick.

It won’t be difficult to find staff to support further expansion. Decades ago, alumni of local universities left the area upon graduation. Today, many stick around. That’s not surprising: Raleigh ranks high on lists of the best places to live. George points out that the area boasts a relatively low cost of living and that it’s a nice place to raise a family. Nick agrees with him, but tries to keep praise to a minimum, commenting: “We want to keep Raleigh a secret!”

"The office has already experienced rapid growth: It was established less than four years ago and now employs 13 professionals – prompting a recent relocation to a larger space."