Gilead breaks ground on AI-enabled US manufacturing hub

[Credit: Michael Vi/Shutterstock.com].

Gilead Sciences has broken ground on the construction of a new Bay Area manufacturing innovation hub that will be central to its US growth and innovation strategy.

Those plans include harnessing advanced infrastructure that will be integrated into the facility’s design, including autonomous robotics and real-time digital monitoring.

The digital features will also, Gilead said, make its new Pharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing (PDM) Technical Development Center (NTDC) one of the most AI-enabled centres in the biopharma industry.

Located at Gilead’s California headquarters in Foster City, the five-story, 180,000 square foot facility will serve as an innovation and collaboration hub for the company’s technical development and manufacturing teams.

The NTDC has been designed with flexible pilot lab space to help it accelerate technology transfer and support the advancement of next-generation biologics across Gilead’s pipeline.

In addition to strengthening its biologics capacity and capabilities, Gilead is keen to align its new centre with the current US administration’s drive to increase domestic manufacturing investment.

Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gilead Sciences, said: “This new facility is part of our vision for delivering next generation therapies and a cornerstone of Gilead’s $32 billion investment commitment in the United States.

“We have multiple construction projects underway, all of which will generate thousands of American jobs and help to drive US leadership in global biopharma innovation.”

The company expects those projects to create more than 3,000 direct and indirect high-quality jobs and ultimately and deliver $43 billion in economic value.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis.

She said: “This new Technical Development Center is more than a milestone for Gilead; it’s a win for all who will benefit from its breakthroughs. It demonstrates that when we invest in domestic biomanufacturing, we strengthen supply chains, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and keep America at the forefront of life-saving innovation.”