MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. (January 27, 2026) – A joint venture between The University of California, Berkeley (“UC Berkeley”) and San Francisco-based SKS Partners (“SKS”) today announced a planned expansion of their $2 billion real estate project in Silicon Valley’s NASA Ames Research Center. In response to accelerating demand across the air, space, and related national security domains, the partnership is now seeking development rights for up to 2.3 million square feet—nearly doubling the 1.4 million square feet reflected in the property’s current lease agreement.  

With an eye toward a larger mission and increased demand, the planned 36-acre innovation hub has been renamed the Berkeley Air & Space Center at NASA Research Park (“Berkeley Air & Space Center”). The new name reflects the project’s broadened focus on technologies spanning air to orbit and rising demand from companies working at the intersection of aerospace, national security, and advanced research. As a nexus for academia, private industry, and government collaborations, the mixed-use property is designed to support tenants’ ability to identify, incubate, and launch the next generation of aerospace breakthroughs.

“Our desire to add approximately one million square feet to the plans for Berkeley Air & Space Center is in direct response to the increased interest from companies at the intersection of national defense and aerospace innovation,” said SKS Partners Chief Development Officer Tim Smith. “It’s about more than just adding square footage, though. We aim to create the physical infrastructure needed to drive the next era of American innovation and ensure the Bay Area remains a critical engine of national security and global competitiveness.”

Located at the heart of Silicon Valley’s innovation corridor, the Berkeley Air & Space Center offers future tenants unrivaled proximity to the Bay Area’s advanced technology ecosystems. The expanded vision intentionally targets companies advancing autonomous systems, next-gen materials, robotics, and technologies designed to perform in extreme environments. 

The physical design of the campus further reinforces its mission. Rather than siloed buildings, the Center is conceived as an open, connected community—built to encourage organic interaction between industry leaders, UC Berkeley faculty and students, and NASA Ames scientists. Berkeley Air & Space Center partners with NASA Ames Research Center, home to some of the world’s most advanced testing and simulation assets, including the planet’s largest wind tunnel, powerful supercomputing platforms, the Arc Jet Complex, and the Vertical Motion Simulator.

The site’s proposed plans would also offer more than 10 acres of open space, including native planting and central green area which would serve as a flexible platform for community gatherings, activations, and exhibitions. 

LEADERSHIP THAT STRENGTHENS TENANT CONNECTIONS

The expansion of the project’s scope coincides with the entrance of Victoria Coleman, a former U.S. Air Force Chief Scientist, who was recently appointed as Associate Provost for Berkeley Air & Space Center.

Coleman will oversee academic initiatives on-site at Berkeley Air & Space Center. In this role, she will bring a rare combination of technical expertise and long-range vision to oversee research initiatives; cultivate collaborations between UC Berkeley, NASA, and the tech industry; and support the development of aerospace innovations at the Center. 

“Berkeley Air & Space Center is more than a research hub. It is a hub for ideas that will shape the future of air, space, and national security,” said Coleman. “By bringing together the brightest minds from across the globe, we can advance a new generation of technologies. This is a place where, together, we will be empowered to explore, ask questions and improve our understanding of and access to space to strengthen both innovation and mission-critical impact.”

Coleman brings four decades of experience across government, industry, and academia, from leading the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Airbus’s Silicon Valley innovation center, to shaping national microelectronics policy through the CHIPS for America Act and other industry-advancing legislation. Her expertise spans breakthroughs in avionics, autonomous systems, and trusted computing—guiding technologies with strategic and economic significance that underpin both America’s security and commercial aerospace growth.

Her leadership reinforces the project’s mission to connect private and public innovators with faculty and students, accelerating discovery and commercialization, while ensuring emerging technologies deliver real-world impact, from lab to orbit.

PREPARING FOR LEASING AND ANCHOR TENANTS

With full entitlement expected in the coming months, Berkeley Air & Space Center is preparing for the formal launch of leasing and aims to announce anchor tenants by the second half of the year.

“For leading companies seeking to accelerate innovation, proximity to top talent, advanced research capabilities, and a community of forward-thinking partners is essential,” said Ben Knight, executive vice president at CBRE. “The Berkeley Air & Space Center presents a unique opportunity for organizations across industries to embed themselves in an environment purpose‑built for discovery and transformation. It’s a place where ambitious ideas can move from concept to real‑world impact—with the speed and collaboration today’s market demands.”

To learn more about Berkeley Air & Space Center, including potential tenancy opportunities, please visit BerkeleyAirSpaceCenter.berkeley.edu.

About Berkeley Air & Space Center at NASA Research Park

Berkeley Air & Space Center at NASA Research Park (“Berkeley Air & Space Center”) is a Bay Area innovation hub and launchpad that was envisioned and developed by UC Berkeley and SKS Partners. The advanced research and development center hopes to set a new sustainability standard for large-scale developments and serve as a birthplace for tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Located within NASA Research Park at NASA’s Ames Research Center, the 36-acre mixed-use development will accelerate and expand the Bay Area’s innovation ecosystem, catalyzing advancements across diverse sectors, from aeronautics and quantum computing, to climate studies and the social sciences. To learn more, please visit BerkeleyAirSpaceCenter.com.

About University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley, consistently rated the top public university in the United States, is the flagship of the 10-campus University of California system, chartered in 1868 with a mission to excel in teaching, research and public service. Enrolling more than 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the campus has more than 1,500 full-time and 500 part-time faculty members in more than 130 academic departments that offer more than 350 degree programs. The faculty's outstanding research achievements and scholarship so far have led to 28 Nobel Prizes, and an additional 35 Nobel Prizes have been won by alumni. To learn more, please visit Berkeley.edu and AirSpaceCenter.berkeley.edu.

About SKS Partners

San Francisco-based SKS Partners is an investor in and developer of commercial real estate properties in the western United States. Since its founding in 1992, the firm has acquired, entitled, developed and operated over 12.4 million square feet of office, R&D, medical office, life science, mixed-use and multifamily projects. Through its focus on making a positive impact on the built environment and its track record of innovative developments, including California’s first multi-story, full mass timber development, SKS Partners has established a reputation for its consistent ability to identify emerging demographic and market trends in advance of other market participants.

Media Contacts:
Isabella Sarlo
Antenna Group
516-526-9227
BASC@antennagroup.com

Dan Mogulof
UC Berkeley
510-919-6954
dmogulof@berkeley.edu