Medtronic officials on Tuesday broke ground on a new 42-acre campus in Lafayette, Colorado, a future hub for critical research and development work supporting the company’s efforts to improve the lives of patients around the world.

Developed in partnership with Ryan Companies US, Inc., the new Lafayette campus will be the company’s second largest site in the United States once construction is complete, which is expected during the second half of 2022. Approximately 1,100 Medtronic employees will be based at the new site, which will support two five-story buildings spanning more than 400,000 square feet.

“Medtronic medical technology developed and manufactured in Colorado transforms patient care globally, and we anticipate continued innovation at our new Lafayette campus,” said Medtronic Chairman and CEO Geoff Martha. “We look forward to coming together at a single campus to bolster our presence in Colorado and position ourselves for growth. In addition, we are investing in this innovation center and new campus to attract and retain technology talent in this tech-rich region of Colorado.”

Colorado officials said the new campus is the kind of project that will help the state’s economy bounce back from the downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re thrilled with Medtronic’s investment in Colorado,” said Colorado’s Chief Economic Recovery Officer and Executive Director Pat Meyers. “This new campus will allow for good jobs, innovation, and employee wellness, all of which are critical to powering the Colorado Comeback.”

Helping support local economies

The new Lafayette campus strengthens the company’s longstanding commitment to the Colorado region where it has maintained a presence for almost 50 years. Currently, Medtronic has facilities in Boulder and Louisville and employs about 2,300 people across the state.

The company will maintain manufacturing operations at the Boulder and Louisville sites and shift research and development work to the new Lafayette campus along with some administrative functions.

“The employee base, the talent that’s here, the location… it isn’t an accident that we’re in the great state of Colorado,” said Brett Wall, executive vice president and president of the company’s neurosciences portfolio.

Bob White, executive vice president and president of the medical surgical portfolio at Medtronic, called the groundbreaking a significant milestone for the company and its partnership with Colorado.

“This community values its people, it values the environment, and it values what we’re doing on a global stage,” White said.

Sustainable by design

With the new Lafayette campus, Medtronic is demonstrating its commitment to providing a sustainable, comfortable, healthy, and productive workplace that complements the surrounding natural environment. Some of its sustainable features will include: reduced water and irrigation use, solar parking canopies, electric vehicle charging stations, pollinator gardens, energy efficient building systems, occupancy sensors, and LED lighting.

Lafayette Mayor Jamie Harkins thanked Medtronic for ensuring the new campus minimizes its impact on the local environment, which was important to her and other community members.

“This campus is an incredible example of sustainable development, which is something we hope to get commercial developers to do more of,” she said.

To help ensure employee safety, the site will be equipped with state-of-the-art ventilation, filtration, and air distribution systems capable of 100 percent outside air economizing to bring in outdoor air, and fully automated and programmable air handles.

Campus employee benefits include a full-service cafeteria with indoor and outdoor seating, a fitness center, outdoor open spaces, areas for team activities, indoor and outdoor bicycle parking, a three-quarter mile recreation loop, and access to trails and public transportation.

“With nearly 11,000 scientists and engineers worldwide and approximately 600 employees in R&D roles in Colorado, Medtronic has over 49,000 patents in our portfolio to date and is running more than 350 clinical trials. Once settled at our new Colorado campus, we will continue to collaborate with each other, our customers, and partners to develop and produce innovative patient care technologies backed by proven science,” said Martha.

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