Construction on Panama’s new Gorgas Campus, a major scientific hub, has reached 17 percent overall completion. Project officials confirmed the progress this week for the $190 million facility being built next to the City of Health in Ancón, Panama.
The goal is to transform and expand the nation’s capacity for health and scientific research. This infrastructure project aims to create a centralized, modern space dedicated to advanced study and public health response.
Structural Progress and Project Timeline
Jorge Araúz, the project’s general coordinator, provided a detailed breakdown of the current status. He explained that workers are actively building Phase 1, which involves the complex’s first main building.
The structural work on that initial building is now 40 percent finished. The broader 17 percent completion figure accounts for the entire project scope, including planning, design, and all construction phases. Crews are making steady headway on the site daily.
“The construction schedule estimates the Gorgas Campus will be completed between late 2027 and early 2028,” said Nicanor III Obaldía, Director of the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies (Icges). [Translated from Spanish]
That projected completion date carries deep symbolic weight for Panama. It will align with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the iconic Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies. The institute has been a cornerstone of national and regional public health research for a century.
A Vision for Regional Scientific Leadership
Director Obaldía emphasized the project’s long-term significance. He described a facility conceived for innovation, genomic surveillance, and high-impact scientific research. The work done here will directly inform public policy and decision-making, particularly in the health sector.
The new campus will enable expanded epidemiological studies and analysis of emerging diseases. It is designed to generate the scientific evidence needed for crafting effective prevention and control strategies nationwide.
“This is a major advance not only for the Gorgas Institute but also for the country. Research projects developed here will, in the future, translate into better public policies and concrete benefits for the health of the population,” Obaldía highlighted. [Translated from Spanish]
He added that the project, championed across multiple government administrations, should become a landmark for Panamanian and regional science. Its ultimate purpose is strengthening the country’s research and response capabilities against current and future health challenges.
Financing and Construction History
Panama’s Cabinet Council originally approved the New Gorgas Campus project back in 2017. Actual construction did not begin until November 2022 after overcoming several initial delays. A formal ceremony in July 2025 symbolically marked the work’s commencement.
The development is financed by a loan from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. The total estimated cost stands at $190 million. Builders will complete the new Icges headquarters in two distinct phases.
A consortium named GIA RM Gorgas holds the construction contract. It comprises the firms Constructora y Edificadora GIA+A, S.A. de C.V., and Ingeniería R-M, S.A. Their teams are now focused on executing the detailed plans for the sprawling campus.
With its sustained progress, the Gorgas Campus is positioning itself as critical national infrastructure. It promises to bolster scientific investigation and solidify Panama’s role as a regional reference in health and innovation. Project leaders believe the investment will contribute profoundly to the development of knowledge and the improvement of population-wide quality of life.