Ohio pharmaceutical growth continues with $2.2B Bayer project

Bayer is preparing a $2.2 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in New Albany, Ohio, with construction expected to begin in mid-2027 and the first production module targeted to become operational in 2031.

The project will initially occupy around 110 acres within the New Albany International Business Park, with an option to expand by a further 85 acres. At full development, the campus could reach approximately 195 acres and is expected to support around 1,500 construction jobs during the buildout, followed by about 600 permanent positions once manufacturing operations are established.

The campus is being planned as a modular and flexible manufacturing facility, allowing different production areas to be developed in stages rather than as one single build. The first phase will focus on drug-substance manufacturing for small-molecule medicines, including treatments in oncology, cardiovascular and renal care. A second module for finished drug products is planned to follow in 2034.

Fluor has been involved during site selection and is now carrying out early design work. Detailed engineering, construction management and general contracting appointments have not yet been finalized, with Bayer expected to define its procurement strategy in early 2027 as design, permitting and site due diligence progress.

The project will require much more than conventional building construction. Pharmaceutical manufacturing depends heavily on process integration, controlled environments, specialist utilities, solvent handling, emissions management, waste systems and highly coordinated mechanical and electrical services. Much of the value of such a facility therefore sits not only in the buildings themselves but in the process equipment, piping, clean utilities and automation systems that allow production to operate reliably and consistently.

Utility planning is already emerging as an important part of the development. New Albany receives water and wastewater services from Columbus, while the business park hosts a growing concentration of pharmaceutical, data centre and advanced manufacturing facilities. Local officials have indicated that water allocation, treatment requirements and infrastructure capacity are part of ongoing discussions as the project moves forward.

That wider development context is significant. The New Albany International Business Park is already home to major life-sciences and technology investments, and the pace of construction in the area has accelerated sharply. Large numbers of workers, heavy transport movements and increasing demand for roads, water, wastewater and power are placing additional pressure on local infrastructure as multiple projects advance in parallel.

The Bayer campus is expected to develop in two main operational stages:

• 2031: first drug-substance manufacturing module enters operation.
• 2034: finished-drug-product manufacturing module follows.
• 1,500 construction jobs: expected during project delivery.
• 600 permanent jobs: planned once the manufacturing campus is established.

The project also sits alongside the new Ohio Life Science Training Center, which is expected to open in 2027 and provide training for biomanufacturing operators and technicians. That timing aligns closely with the planned start of Bayer's construction programme and reflects the wider effort to build both the physical infrastructure and skilled workforce needed to support continued pharmaceutical growth in the region.

With early design now under way and procurement decisions still to come, 2027 will be a key year for the project as the campus moves from planning into detailed engineering and construction.