Day Two: Wednesday 26 March 2025
7:00 Networking & Coffee
8:00 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Delivering Budget Control for Predictable Project Finances
8:10 am Panel Discussion: Navigating Current Market Challenges to Strategically Position Life Science Development For Future Growth
Synopsis
- Analyzing the risk profile of labs, manufacturing facilities and campus projects to identify potential challenges and opportunities in a fluctuating market to inform investment decisions
- Identifying areas of increased investment and funding: aligning project priorities with current market opportunities to enhance project viability
- Emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies to optimize resource allocation and ensure swift responsiveness to market changes
8:50 am Evaluating the Impact of Rising Construction Costs on Life Science Projects to Enhance Financial Planning
Synopsis
- Analyzing current economic trends to understand the impact of inflation and rising costs on life science construction budgets to create more robust financial plans
- Pinpointing the challenges posed by increased MEP costs: what is the most effective way of transferring risk appropriately between clients and contractors to create clearer accountability?
- Deciding when alternative materials or construction methods are required to maintain budget integrity throughout the project lifecycle
10.00 Networking & Morning Refreshments
Strengthening Client Relationships for Long-Term Trust
10:40 am Maximizing Cleanroom Prefabrication on Your Next Project to Enhance Efficiency & Fast-Track Delivery
Synopsis
- Demonstrating how increased prefabrication and modular cleanrooms reduce on-site labor demands and improves project timelines to secure buy-in from your project partners
- Determining the line of demarcation: what level of construction should be built onsite to ensure that quality standards are always met?
- Establishing a collaborative culture and mapping out common goals from day one to optimize the exploration of prefabricated options
11:20 am Audience Breakout: Collaborative Problem-Solving to Overcome Key Challenges in Life Science Facilities Construction
Synopsis
This breakout session will bring together owners, designers, and contractors in focused groups to collaborate on facility specific challenges impacting the design and construction of manufacturing spaces, laboratories, and cleanrooms. Participants will gain actionable insights by engaging in solution-led discussions aimed at identifying practical strategies to address operational, regulatory, and technical challenges unique to each facility type, fostering a clearer path to effective and compliant project outcomes.
12:00 Lunch Break
Increasing Labor Efficiency to Optimize Better Workforce Alignment
1:00 pm Defining Owner Representatives’ Role in Life Science Construction Projects to Align Project Partner Expectations
Synopsis
- Defining the role of owner’s representatives to drive overall project delivery efficiency through effective project and cost management
- Collaborating closely with design, construction, and engineering teams to ensure the alignment of project goals and delivery timelines
- Streamlining communication between project partners to drive timely decision-making and build project momentum through to project completion
1:40 pm Audience Discussion: Overcoming Skilled Labor Challenges to Ensure Timely & High-Quality Life Science Development
Synopsis
- Understanding regional labor markets and anticipating future workforce needs to tackle the shortage of qualified labor
- Upskilling teams through mentorship programs and targeted training initiatives to maintain production levels and ensure efficient execution of projects of all sizes
- Implementing flexible staffing solutions and strategic partnerships with educational institutions to build a pipeline of attracting and retaining skilled labor to counteract future labor shortages
2:20 pm Optimizing Workforce Management to Meet Life Science Construction Demands
Synopsis
- Analyzing the current labor market landscape to identify gaps and opportunities to enable better project planning and resource allocation to mitigate potential delays
- Identifying the unique labor demands of life science facilities to match workforce capabilities with the complexities of highly regulated construction environments, ensuring deadlines are met without sacrificing quality
- Leveraging workforce planning tools for forecasting resource constraints to ensure availability of skilled labor and maintain operational continuity throughout critical stages