Pfizer plans to build a $650 million advanced-manufacturing center on its Groton campus, a project state and local officials are calling a major vote of confidence in the region. The approximately 220,000-square-foot Manufacturing Technology Center would produce clinical active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug products for Pfizer-sponsored clinical trials around the world, with construction set to begin next spring and operations targeted for mid-2031.
The plan was announced Thursday by AdvanceCT, the state's nonprofit economic development agency that focuses on public-private partnerships. According to the AdvanceCT release, the project represents a $650 million capital investment over five years and will consolidate employees currently working in other facilities across the Groton campus into one purpose-built center. The new facility is also meant to modernize infrastructure supporting Pfizer's existing workforce and bring together related operations in a facility designed for future clinical manufacturing needs, the release states.
Pfizer has not disclosed how many employees will work in the new building or whether the project will create additional permanent jobs, according to the Hartford Business Journal. The state has not provided any financial assistance for the project, the outlet reported. The Day reported that an AdvanceCT spokesman said Pfizer would not provide the center's exact location or renderings of the planned building.
A Long History in Groton
Pfizer established its Groton research and development operation in 1959, and the campus has grown into one of the company's largest worldwide, spanning about 175 acres and containing 2.17 million square feet of laboratory and office space, the Hartford Business Journal reported. Raja Mangipudy, Pfizer's Groton site head, said the company has a long history of scientific innovation in Groton, where discoveries advance its pipeline, as reported by The Day. Groton scientists have contributed to Pfizer's clinical development work and the global supply of clinical research materials, and they helped develop the company's COVID-19 vaccine, per the same account.
The announcement comes after a rockier recent stretch at the site: Pfizer announced layoffs affecting its Groton operations in 2023 as part of a companywide cost-cutting initiative, the Hartford Business Journal noted. The company also moved its drug-discovery unit to the Boston area more than a decade before this week's announcement, according to The Day's reporting.
A Campus With a Demolition History
Pfizer has demolished or considered demolishing several buildings at its Eastern Point Road campus since 2010, The Day reported. The company proceeded with demolition of Building 126, a former 46,000-square-foot research facility, and Building 118, its former 750,000-square-foot research headquarters. At least three other buildings on the campus were considered for demolition, though that work was not completed or was canceled, per The Day's account.
Pfizer had sought coastal site plan review in 2012 as a first step toward possibly demolishing Building 118, according to Patch, which reported the company hoped to sell or lease the 750,000-square-foot complex before considering tearing it down. Separately, Pfizer has also planned to demolish the vacant 80,000-square-foot Building 185 Complex on its western campus at 445 Eastern Point Road, according to FFCCT.
Officials Frame It as a Commitment to Stay
State officials said the announcement indicates Pfizer's long-term commitment to remain in Connecticut, The Day reported. Commissioner of Economic Development Daniel O'Keefe said Pfizer's investment endorses momentum in Connecticut's economy as companies expand, modernize and make long-term commitments, per the same report. AdvanceCT President and CEO John Bourdeaux called the project a significant vote of confidence in Groton, its workforce and Connecticut's ability to support biopharmaceutical innovation globally, and AdvanceCT said the investment further strengthens Groton's position as a pharmaceutical research and development center.
Local lawmakers echoed that sentiment. State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, who represents Connecticut's 41st District, said the project is an extraordinary vote of confidence in the community, workforce and future of southeastern Connecticut, according to The Day. Democratic state Rep. Dan Gaiewski, whose 40th District includes the Pfizer campus, said the project underscores the need to support educational institutions so companies can rely on a skilled workforce, naming Mitchell College, Connecticut College and the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus as regional partners important to workforce development. Gaiewski added that he has seen Pfizer's impactful research and medical advancements in Groton firsthand and is excited about the region's future.
Pfizer will work with the City of Groton through project planning, construction and operational startup, per The Day's reporting. Groton City Mayor Jill Rusk said the center reflects Pfizer's long-term commitment to the city and its workforce, adding that the city appreciates Pfizer's continued investment and looks forward to collaborating to strengthen the community. Groton Town Mayor Juliette Parker said she looked forward to Pfizer's continued investment and the opportunities the facility will create for residents, businesses and the region.
