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Johnson & Johnson plans to boost its U.S.-based research and development, technology and manufacturing investments to more than $55 billion over the next four years.

In a March 21 press release unveiling the initiative, the New Brunswick-headquartered health care giant said the sum represents a 25% increase compared with the previous four years. The company estimated the U.S. economic impact will total more than $100 billion a year. J&J also noted it will build upon “already elevated U.S. investment levels resulting from the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act.”

The announcement came the same day that J&J broke ground on a $2 billion, state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing site in Wilson, N.C. The new outpost aims to expand the company’s capacity to produce next-generation medicines for cancer, immune-mediated and neurological diseases.

Once fully operational, the 500,000-square-foot location will directly employ over 500 specialized employees and contractors, including process technicians, laboratory analysts, engineers and microbiologists. J&J also estimates the Wilson facility will generate a $3 billion impact across North Carolina during its first 10 years of operation.

Along with creating an estimated 5,000 jobs during construction, the site will bring new community partnerships to the area, including continued collaboration with the Smithsonian Science Education Center and Wilson County Schools, to bring additional STEM programming to local schools.

Johnson & Johnson will also support the implementation of the BioWork certificate program in all Wilson County high schools, in collaboration with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and Wilson Community College. Through BioWork, students in Wilson will have an accelerated pathway to gain skills necessary to begin a career at Johnson & Johnson and other life sciences manufacturers across the state, the company said.

Other investments

With nearly two dozen facilities across the country, J&J has the biggest footprint in the U.S. when it comes to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

By 2029, the company expects to develop three new advanced manufacturing facilities and expand several existing sites across its innovative medicine and medtech businesses. However, J&J did not disclose specific details about the expansion plans or the location of its other planned facilities in its statement.

The company will also deploy technology upgrades “to help make drug discovery and development faster, support workforce training and enhance our business operations,” it said.

Additionally, “significant” resources will go toward investing in “extensive R&D infrastructure aimed at developing lifesaving and life-changing treatments in areas such as oncology, neuroscience, immunology, cardiovascular disease, and robotic surgery.”

Commenting on the campaign, J&J CEO and Chairman Joaquin Duato said it “accelerates our nearly 140-year legacy as an American innovation engine tackling the world’s toughest health care challenges.”

Reuters noted that the Trump administration’s threat of a 25% tariff on pharmaceutical imports has prompted other pharmaceutical companies, like Eli Lilly, to begin expanding domestic manufacturing operations.

Similar to J&J, Eli Lilly cited tax cut legislation passed in 2017 as factors in its U.S. investments.