Beijing and Shanghai are at the forefront of a global surge in life sciences facility construction. According to a recent CBRE report, these two cities account for nearly 14 million square feet of research and advancement (R&D) space currently under development [[1]], [[2]].

Driving Factors

• Rising Health Challenges: an increase in various health issues is fueling the demand for advanced research and development.
• Aging Population: The growing elderly population necessitates more healthcare solutions and innovations.

These factors are significantly contributing to the expansion of the life sciences sector in mainland China [[2]].

Global Construction Overview

Globally, the construction of life sciences research facilities reached over 35 million square feet last year. Beijing accounted for 7.4 million square feet, while Shanghai added 6.4 million square feet. Together, these cities represent more than a third of the world’s total construction in this sector [[2]].

asia-Pacific Leadership

According to Paul Peeters, senior director and Asia-Pacific head of life sciences, advisory and transaction services at CBRE, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore and Greater Tokyo are the largest life sciences markets in the Asia-Pacific region [[3]].

Peeters also noted that while China leads the world in construction of such facilities,there is also strong growth momentum in the industry across the Asia-Pacific region [[3]].

U.S. Market Comparison

While China is experiencing rapid growth in construction, the united States still leads in terms of existing life sciences facilities. Key U.S. cities include:

• boston: 56 million sq ft
• San Francisco: 43.6 million sq ft
• San Diego: 27.3 million sq ft