Skanska announces topping out of the superstructure for the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (FAMRC) in Osceola County. FAMRC is set to become a major economic driver as the first facility in Florida with the capability of providing a high-tech manufacturing platform.

Skanska executed the final guaranteed maximum price amendment of $25 million to bring the total contract value to $71.4 million for the design and construction of FAMRC.

The FAMRC development, which sits on 20 acres of land near the intersection of US 192 and Florida’s Turnpike, will include a 109,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art research and development lab facility that will provide semiconductor research and, manufacturing.

The center is designed to draw companies focused on developing advanced manufacturing products, which is considered a high-wage sector. This will ultimately enable the creation of new devices and systems that will transform fields such as healthcare, transportation, agriculture, and consumer products. For example, IMEC, the world leading nanoelectronics research center, has chosen Osceola County to open IMEC Florida, a new entity focusing on photonics and high-speed electronics Integrated Circuit design. The new center will work in close collaboration with the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research, further cementing the county’s efforts to become the heart of smart sensor innovation.

“This project is set to create a new hub for manufacturing and research that will generate thousands of jobs, while positioning Osceola County as a leader in innovation and research,” said Matt Gilbert, senior vice president at Skanska USA Building in Orlando. “As a company that sets out to build transformational projects that drive economic growth in the region, this high-tech facility will deliver devices and systems that will enhance people’s lives and their communities for years to come.”

The project’s construction includes build-out of clean rooms, research space, laboratories and support space. The infrastructure to support these spaces is being designed and coordinated to meet the initial and future requirements for additional build-out phases of the research and manufacturing center.

Design and construction of FAMRC began March 2015, and is expected to be completed in March 2017. Leading the project’s design is architect HOK with Abbie Gregg, Inc., a leading global consultant related to this advanced high technology industry sector.

The center’s development is led by the Osceola County Board of Commissioners and includes a partnership with the University of Central Florida and the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing (ICAMR).

About Skanska

Skanska USA is one of the largest, most financially sound construction and development companies in the U.S., serving a broad range of clients including those in transportation, power, industrial, water/wastewater, healthcare, education, sports, data centers, life sciences, aviation and commercial. Headquartered in New York with offices in 31 metro areas, we have nearly 11,000 employees committed to being leaders in safety, project execution, sustainability, ethics and people development. In 2015, our work in building construction, civil and power/industrial construction, commercial development and infrastructure development (public-private partnerships) generated $7.1 billion in revenue. Global revenue of parent company Skanska AB, headquartered in Stockholm and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, totaled $18.4 billion in 2015. Skanska shares are publicly traded in the U.S. on the OTC market under the symbol SKBSY through a Level I American Depository Receipt program.