Rowen Site Selection Newsletter: June 24, 2026

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

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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

Rowen’s tenacity for long-term economic and community development resonated with UCB, ultimately leading the company to establish its first presence within Rowen’s knowledge community.

Strategic Partnerships Power UCB’s Investment in Rowen

After a comprehensive search across 12 states and more than 1,200 counties, Colliers managed a rigorous process which ultimately led UCB to choosing Rowen based on its location within a national and global hub for biopharmaceutical innovation.

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

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.

LEARN MORE

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