The Alexandria Center for Advanced Technologies at The Woodlands is open for business. Rendering courtesy of Alexandria Real Estate Equities

A new innovation hub mega campus has opened in The Woodlands.

The Alexandria Center for Advanced Technologies at The Woodlands comes courtesy of California-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. The campus is home to the first purpose-built, cost-effective Class A laboratory infrastructure in the Houston suburb.

The campus takes advantage of Alexandria’s cluster model, which is informed by the cluster theory of business created by Harvard Business School’s Michael E. Porter. The belief behind the cluster is that there are four critical drivers necessary to creating a thriving business cluster: location, innovation, talent and capital. With nearly three decades of creating such STEM ecosystems, Alexandria is well positioned to grow something important in The Woodlands.

The campus’ first building is a 123,392-square-foot, LEED Gold Core and Shell, and Fitwel-certified redevelopment project. One of the initial tenants in that building is Nurix Therapeutics, a San Francisco-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.

“We have had an outstanding strategic relationship with Alexandria since 2014 and approached them to support our expansion to Texas,” Arthur T. Sands, MD, PhD, president and chief executive officer of Nurix said in a press release. “The Woodlands offers us a business-friendly, entrepreneurial environment that is critical to our growth. Alexandria’s thoughtfully designed new campus provides us with state-of-the-art laboratory space and dynamic amenities that are key to helping us attract and retain top talent as we work to change the future of medicine through an exciting new modality of treating disease: targeted protein modulation.”

Nurix’s focus is treating cancer and other challenging diseases using protein modulation. Its expansion to the Houston area will help the company to build both proprietary and partnered programs in oncology as well as autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

“Our efforts in The Woodlands are much like when we entered New York City, where commercial life science was very limited before we opened our flagship Alexandria Center for Life Science – NYC in 2010,” Joel S. Marcus, executive chairman and founder of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and Alexandria Venture Investments, says in a news release. "We are similarly committed to developing a commercial life science presence in The Woodlands.

"Steve Jobs once said, ‘the biggest innovations of the twenty-first century will be at the intersection of biology and technology,’ and his prediction has come to fruition," Marcus continues. "Here in The Woodlands, this important convergence will drive opportunities to accelerate the development of new medicines to benefit patients."

Care for a round of pickleball with a colleague? The Alexandria Center for Advanced Technologies campus is replete with appealing with amenities. They indeed include onsite pickleball courts, but also modern conference and event space; an large, welcoming courtyard and event lawn; and a wellness and fitness center so innovators can keep their bodies as healthy as their minds.

With the objective of further driving this STEM ecosystem, the company is also bringing the Alexandria Seed Capital Platform to The Woodlands. The nationwide platform unites leaders from across the life science community to catalyze early-stage investment in life science companies. If Alexandria’s goals come to fruition, more medical companies may soon be heading to Houston’s ‘burbs.

The Alexandria Center for Advanced Technologies at The Woodlands

Image courtesy of Alexandria Real Estate Equities

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Japanese energy tech manufacturer moves U.S. headquarters to Houston

HQ HOU

TMEIC Corporation Americas has officially relocated its headquarters from Roanoke, Virginia, to Houston.

TMEIC Corporation Americas, a group company of Japan-based TMEIC Corporation Japan, recently inaugurated its new space in the Energy Corridor, according to a news release. The new HQ occupies the 10th floor at 1080 Eldridge Parkway, according to ConnectCRE. The company first announced the move last summer.

TMEIC Corporation Americas specializes in photovoltaic inverters and energy storage systems. It employs approximately 500 people in the Houston area, and has plans to grow its workforce in the city in the coming year as part of its overall U.S. expansion.

"We are thrilled to be part of the vibrant Greater Houston community and look forward to expanding our business in North America's energy hub," Manmeet S. Bhatia, president and CEO of TMEIC Corporation Americas, said in the release.

The TMEIC group will maintain its office in Roanoke, which will focus on advanced automation systems, large AC motors and variable frequency drive systems for the industrial sector, according to the release.

TMEIC Corporation Americas also began operations at its new 144,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Brookshire, which is dedicated to manufacturing utility-scale PV inverters, earlier this year. The company also broke ground on its 267,000-square-foot manufacturing facility—its third in the U.S. and 13th globally—this spring, also in Waller County. It's scheduled for completion in May 2026.

"With the global momentum toward decarbonization, electrification, and domestic manufacturing resurgence, we are well-positioned for continued growth," Bhatia added in the release. "Together, we will continue to drive industry and uphold our legacy as a global leader in energy and industrial solutions."

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This article originally appeared on EnergyCapitalHTX.com.

2 Texas cities named on LinkedIn's inaugural 'Cities on the Rise'

jobs data

LinkedIn’s 2025 Cities on the Rise list includes two Texas cities in the top 25—and they aren’t Houston or Dallas.

The Austin metro area came in at No. 18 and the San Antonio metro at No. 23 on the inaugural list that measures U.S. metros where hiring is accelerating, job postings are increasing and talent migration is “reshaping local economies,” according to the company. The report was based on LinkedIn’s exclusive labor market data.

According to the report, Austin, at No. 18, is on the rise due to major corporations relocating to the area. The datacenter boom and investments from tech giants are also major draws to the city, according to LinkedIn. Technology, professional services and manufacturing were listed as the city’s top industries with Apple, Dell and the University of Texas as the top employers.

The average Austin metro income is $80,470, according to the report, with the average home listing at about $806,000.

While many write San Antonio off as a tourist attraction, LinkedIn believes the city is becoming a rising tech and manufacturing hub by drawing “Gen Z job seekers and out-of-state talent.”

USAA, U.S. Air Force and H-E-B are the area’s biggest employers with professional services, health care and government being the top hiring industries. With an average income of $59,480 and an average housing cost of $470,160, San Antonio is a more affordable option than the capital city.

The No. 1 spot went to Grand Rapids due to its growing technology scene. The top 10 metros on the list include:

  • No. 1 Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • No. 2 Boise, Idaho
  • No. 3 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  • No. 4 Albany, New York
  • No. 5 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • No. 6 Portland, Maine
  • No. 7 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
  • No. 8 Hartford, Connecticut
  • No. 9 Nashville, Tennessee
  • No. 10 Omaha, Nebraska

See the full report here.

Houston Methodist receives $25M gift, renames department of medicine

med funding

Houston-based nonprofit The Duncan Fund has awarded a $25 million gift to Houston Methodist's department of medicine to establish new endowed fellowships, streamline complex care and bring artificial intelligence into the fold to develop more personalized treatment plans.

In turn, the health care system announced that it will rename the department the Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine at Houston Methodist.

“We are deeply appreciative of the Duncan family’s support, which allows us to further programs at the intersection of personalized medicine and preventive health care to benefit our patients,” Dr. Eleftherios Mylonakis, chair of the department and the Charles and Anne Duncan Presidential Distinguished Chair, said in a news release.

The department of medicine is Houston Methodist's largest, and comprises 13 clinical programs, ranging from general medicine to highly specialized care, as well as research and education.

According to Houston Methodist, the latest grant from the Duncan family will:
  • Coordinate complex, multidisciplinary care by hospitalists
  • Implement programs that leverage data and AI to tailor treatments and preventive strategies
  • Establish five endowed fellowships, including a new fellowship for students known as MedTech Innovator

“Our vision is to redefine how care is delivered in our country by creating a national model for true continuity — one that follows the patient across every transition, from home to hospital and back again,” Mylonakis added in the release. “We are also advancing a deeper understanding of health span, shifting from reactive treatment to a proactive, lifelong strategy that maximizes not just how long we live but how well we live.”

The Duncan family has been a longtime supporter of Houston Methodist—and Houston organizations at large. The late Charles Duncan Jr. sat on the system's board for decades, and his son, Charles “Carlos” Duncan III, serves on the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation Board. Additionally, the family established the Charles and Anne Duncan Scholars Program and endowed chairs in nephrology and endocrinology.

Charles Duncan Jr. is also the namesake behind Rice University's Duncan Residential College and was one of the founders of the Greater Houston Partnership. He served as Secretary of Energy during the Carter Administration.