UCB is planning to invest $2 billion to construct a manufacturing facility near its U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that global biopharmaceutical giant UCB, Inc. is planning a significant investment of $2 billion in Georgia to establish its first U.S. pharmaceutical biologics manufacturing facility,” Gov. Kemp’s office stated in a release.
“The investment will generate 330 new jobs over the next several years at the Rowen Foundation’s state-of-the-art, 2,000-acre science and learning campus in Gwinnett County,” the release continued.
“UCB will invest $2 billion to establish their first U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing facility right here in the Peach State!” Kemp said on social media.
“This historic decision will further Georgia’s position as a hub of innovation in healthcare and life sciences,” he added.
BIG WIN FOR GEORGIA!
UCB will invest $2 billion to establish their first U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing facility right here in the Peach State!
This historic decision will further Georgia’s position as a hub of innovation in healthcare and life sciences.… pic.twitter.com/DHr3pQyhob
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) March 24, 2026
Fierce Pharma shared further:
The 460,000-square-foot factory will sit on a 79-acre plot of land in the Rowen innovation district, a mixed-use development designed to attract corporate investment. The project is modeled after North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park (RTP).
Officials from Gwinnett County signed off on UCB’s application on Tuesday afternoon. It becomes the largest investment a company has made in county history, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The site is near Dacula, Georgia, which is 35 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. UCB’s U.S. headquarters is in Smyrna, which is in Atlanta’s northwest suburbs, about 45 minutes away.
UCB said that the plant will create a financial impact of $5 billion. The facility, which will be the size of eight football fields, will create 330 permanent jobs. UCB is one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, logging a 26% revenue increase last year to 7.74 billion euros ($8.7 billion).
In June of last year, UCB revealed its plan to build a large-scale manufacturing facility in the U.S. but didn’t say where it would be located. The company’s other major facilities are in Belgium, Switzerland and Japan. In 2024, UCB sold a plant in China, along with its aging allergy and neurology businesses, to two investment firms.
“When we met with UCB leadership earlier this year in Belgium, we discussed how the Peach State would be the right partner for their visionary plans in the U.S. that will benefit both patients and hardworking Georgians,” Kemp said.
“UCB’s announcement is also a significant milestone for our life sciences industry, representing one of the largest investments in state history and establishing both the Rowen facility and Georgia as a true hub of innovation in this field,” he continued.
The White House announced last year that UCB would open a $5 billion U.S. factory.
TRUMP EFFECT: Belgium-based drugmaker UCB to open $5B U.S. factory
“The move comes as a growing number of drugmakers expand their U.S. investments as the Trump administration threatens to impose tariffs on drug imports.”https://t.co/bbHYc0MzSf
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 13, 2025
More from Kemp’s office:
A global biopharmaceutical company based in Belgium, UCB’s North American headquarters are located in Smyrna and currently support more than 400 jobs. UCB’s expertise spans neurology and immunology.
“This decision reflects our confidence in UCB’s long-term growth and our deep-rooted commitment to the United States,” said Jean-Christophe Tellier, CEO of UCB. “By investing in Georgia, where our U.S. headquarters have been based for more than three decades, we are strengthening our biologics manufacturing capabilities, supporting our innovation pipeline, and creating high-quality jobs in a state that offers outstanding talent, a strong manufacturing tradition, and an ecosystem designed for sustainable, long-term success. This project is expected to generate approximately $5 billion in total economic impact, reflecting the broader value it will create for the region and its communities.”
UCB’s new manufacturing footprint will be located at Rowen, serving as an anchor tenant for this 2,000-acre planned community in metro Atlanta designed to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation. The cutting-edge campus will use a digital-first approach by leveraging AI, robotics, and automation while also prioritizing efficiency in the use of any natural resources.