Dean Shigenaga, co-president and CFO of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), participated in a video interview at Nareit’s REITworld: 2018 Annual Conference in San Francisco.
Alexandria operates under a unique “cluster model,” where location, innovation, talent, and capital all come together. Shigenaga said this is important for life science companies because “innovative companies can be most successful when really positioned at the epicenter of the world’s top ecosystems.”
Meanwhile, Alexandria recently produced its first corporate responsibility report. Shigenaga said the company’s environmentally responsible, highly dynamic, and collaborative science and technology campuses are designed to help its client tenants recruit and retain world-class talent, promote health and wellness, and inspire productivity and success.
“Our ESG goals are well-aligned with our client tenants’ strategic business initiatives and that really drives a healthy level of demand for our high quality real estate,” he said.
Shigenaga noted that Alexandria has one of the leading tenant rosters in the REIT industry today. As of Sept. 30, 52 percent of its annual rental revenue was derived from either investment grade-rated tenants or large cap public entities, he said.