As Georgia continues to be a hub for a wide variety of industries, it has created an opportunity to refine the way organizations and businesses interact. Instead of silos and stiff competition, cross-industry collaboration and partnerships among organizations, often seen as competitors, are on the rise.
The life science sector is a prime example. Georgia is an emerging hub for this fast-growing industry with over 4,000 life science organizations and more than 78,000 life science jobs statewide. Researchers, innovators, students and leaders are working together to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, and two of the prime places where life science research and innovation will emerge over the next 20 years are Science Square and Rowen.
Rowen, a 2,000-acre knowledge community located in Gwinnett County, is set to bring together companies and higher education institutions to drive experiential learning, research and innovation. At full buildout, Rowen will create more than 75,000 jobs across various industries, including life sciences, energy, agriculture, technology, pharmaceuticals and more.
Science Square is a multi-phase development offering commercial lab, research and development spaces and residential real estate adjacent to Georgia Tech’s campus. The project is a joint venture between Trammell Crow Company and its residential subsidiary, High Street Residential and Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures (GATV). Similar to Rowen, the first phase of construction began in 2022, and it is scheduled to deliver in 2024, including Science Square Labs, a 364,740-square-foot Class A lab/office tower and a 280-unit residential building.
These two sites sit in very different environments. Rowen controls 2,000 acres of forests and pastures that will offer a bucolic setting anchored by the Rowen multi-use village to facilitate collaboration for future scientists. Science Square is in the heart of Midtown surrounded by a diverse network of urbanity. Nonetheless, they share space in the same industry, and Rowen and Science Square actually work in tandem to facilitate progress toward Georgia’s shared goals around connecting innovation to place-based assets, providing a plethora of options for industries to locate and scale while leveraging Georgia’s skilled and diverse talent pipeline.
“People are often shocked to hear that our two projects feed off of each other,” said Mason Ailstock, president and CEO of the Rowen Foundation. “At Rowen, we ultimately want to provide a better future through research, learning and innovation. Science Square is seeking to do the same, and so naturally we want to work together to fulfill our shared goals. We each have unique advantages and opportunities with our resources, and we want to build off of those, together."
With Science Square located on the campus of one of the nation’s top-ranked engineering schools and Rowen located in the epicenter of more than 50 research and educational institutions, the two sites are well-positioned to attract recent college graduates who can contribute to life sciences. In fact, the Rowen Foundation heavily relies on insight and wisdom from leaders of five Georgia universities, with board members from Emory University, Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia Institute of Technology, Spelman College and the University of Georgia.
“As research, innovation and technology development continue to grow across the life sciences, we are excited about the opportunities ahead,” said Greg King, associate vice president for economic development at Georgia Tech. “Science Square is a purpose-built district designed to help innovators and enterprises develop and scale their ideas and compete globally. Science Square and Rowen are great examples of regional investment that open the door to new opportunities for companies seeking top talent and a collaborative ecosystem to develop technology with power to improve and save lives.”
Creating relationships instead of competition yields a surplus of opportunity for mutual success. By joining forces Georgia Tech, Rowen and Science Square are able to innovate exponentially faster than working independently. Together, they also provide a cohesive network of space to scale up, access top talent and remain in Georgia.
“Collaborating locally helps Georgia play on a global level,” said Katherine Lynch, principal of Trammell Crow Company. “Our relationship with Rowen is just one example of how building bridges of innovation and relationships across the region fuels research across industries, including life sciences.”
As Georgia continues to be a hub for life sciences, it is important that organizations and entities find ways to come together for the sake of the overall goal — to create a better future for Georgians and beyond.
Two thousand carefully preserved acres along Highway 316 in Gwinnett County, Georgia, Rowen is a visionary knowledge community that will bring together entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators at the intersection of the Atlanta, Athens and Gainesville metropolitan statistical areas and more than 50 research and educational institutions. A new multi-use concept designed to foster discoveries in agricultural, medical and environmental sciences, Rowen will build on the land’s rich history of thoughtful environmental stewardship, while changing the economic and social trajectory of Gwinnett, Georgia and our nation for generations.