Rowen Site Selection Newsletter: June 24, 2026
Welcoming UCB: Building Community Around a $2B Investment
How Rowen supports tenants from site selection through early-stage integration in Gwinnett County
Three months after announcing our first tenant, Rowen is moving decisively from vision to execution.
In March, UCB confirmed a $2 billion investment to establish its U.S.-based biologics manufacturing campus within Rowen’s knowledge community. More recently, UCB’s leadership team visited with the Rowen Foundation and its partners—an early step in building a long-term partnership anchored in purposeful innovation and shared ambition for the future of life sciences and biomanufacturing.
We shared this progress at our annual State of Rowen event, which brings together public and private partners, along with the local community, to stay aligned on Rowen’s growth. That same commitment to transparency and collaboration shapes how we engage site selectors and prospective companies.
Beyond the site, regional investments continue to strengthen our business environment. From the airport’s ATLNext capital program expanding global connectivity to ongoing improvements along the University Parkway/SR 316 corridor that hugs the Rowen campus, transportation and infrastructure investments are enhancing access, mobility and long-term growth across Gwinnett County and globally. Read on to learn more about the opportunities the Rowen Region holds.
Mason Ailstock
President & CEO
Rowen Foundation
Get in Touch
UCB President: Rowen’s Location is “Too Good to Resist”
UCB President of the U.S. Taco Van Tiel shares why the company selected Rowen for its next phase of growth, citing access to top-tier universities, strong government partnership and an exceptional quality of life to support its expansion.
Watch the Interview
A Belgian Company Finds that Georgia Feels Like Home
Strategic Partnerships Power UCB’s Investment in Rowen
Check out the Approach
Rowen Making Headlines
- Gwinnett’s Bet to Build Georgia Version of Research Triangle Park Starts Paying Off (The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
- Gwinnett County Advances ‘Smart Growth’ Thanks to Rowen’s Leadership (Rough Draft Atlanta)
- Rowen Moving Full-Speed Ahead on Heels of UCB Announcement (Gwinnett Daily Post)
Rowen is Ready: University Partnerships
Rowen’s competitive advantage is rooted in collaboration. This spring, Rowen partnered with the University of Georgia’s School of Ecology to host a BioBlitz on its 2,000-acre campus and participated in Emory University’s AI.Humanity Conference—reinforcing Rowen’s position at the intersection of technology, health and innovation.
Ongoing engagement with leading institutions, including a recent visit from the President of Georgia Tech, combined with proximity to Metro Atlanta’s steady workforce, positions Rowen to support companies seeking skilled talent across environmental technology, engineering, ag-tech and biomedical fields.
Learn More About Our University Partners
Rowen on the Road
This spring, we connected with site selectors at the Area Development Forum in New Orleans and joined Team Georgia at SelectUSA. Rowen continues to maintain a strong presence across the site selection community, with upcoming engagements including:
- SEDC Annual Conference | August 16-18, Bonita Springs, FL
- Georgia Life Sciences Summit | August 26, Atlanta, GA
- Site Selectors Guild Fall Forum | September 14-16, Cleveland, OH
- Boston Biotech Week | September 22–25, Boston, MA
Looking for Sites?
Contact the Rowen Team
Site Selector Toolkit
Announcements
Rowen Foundation Announces Leadership Transition
The Rowen Foundation today announced that President and CEO Mason Ailstock will step down after accepting a new opportunity. The Rowen Board of Directors is conducting a national search for Rowen's next president and CEO with the Board anticipating new leadership later this fall.
Blog
Why Companies Are Choosing Georgia’s Largest Biotech Park
While Boston and San Francisco have long dominated the life sciences conversation, the Southeast is writing a new chapter, and Georgia is leading it. With 2,000 acres of preserved land for state-of-the-art facilities, labs, and collaboration spaces, Rowen is a compelling destination for biopharma and biotech industry investments that value collaborative learning, knowledge sharing, and transformative thinking.
Newsletters
Rowen Stakeholder Newsletter: June 24, 2026
Over the past three months, we’ve seen meaningful progress at Rowen—not just on site, but across the broader community. Our recent State of Rowen event was a defining moment, offering an opportunity to reflect on that shared progress and officially welcoming UCB to Gwinnett County following its $2 billion investment announcement.