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Virginia Economic Review
Our quarterly publication, Virginia Economic Review, provides an insider look at Virginia’s economy, its diverse array of world-class companies, its amazing talent, and its stunning natural beauty, as well as insights from national thought leaders.
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The Future of Food
Just outside the city of Danville, Virginia, sits a farm unlike any of its neighbors. Tucked into the tree line, it stands 50 feet high, sleek, and solid white, standing out from the long, thin rows of tilled fields that surround it.
Selling Virginia Delicacies Along the Commonwealth's Tourist Trails
From fourth-generation oyster farms to award-winning distilleries, Virginia’s food and beverage trails offer a bounty for hungry travelers. Here’s how some of those businesses have benefited from being on these trails.
Valley Roads Vineyards
Piedmont Virginia Community College Connects Wineries, Breweries with Skilled Talent
Expertise in grapevine grafting and propagation, basic tractor repair, fermentation, and wine racking aren’t exactly skill sets that are widely found among the general population. Yet they are skills upon which the more than 800 wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries in Virginia depend.
From Virginia to the World
One Virginia company’s vision of how we grow our food may sound like science fiction. But it’s getting an unusual assist from a unique partnership forged by VEDP’s International Trade Division.
Virginia Military Institute
The I-81 Corridor Manufacturing Success: Shenandoah Valley
While many drivers along the Interstate 81 Corridor focus on the beauty of the surrounding mountains, I-81 is the backbone that connects a thriving manufacturing industry. Unlike many interstate systems, I-81 circumvents major metro areas to connect smaller and mid-size cities.
Positioned to Thrive
Medical Device Manufacturer Embody Sets Stage for International Growth For Norfolk-based Embody, Inc., the six-year process of product development, preclinical testing, and compliance hurdles to get its collagen-based tendon and ligament implant, Tapestry, into the U.S.
James Madison University
Creative Partnerships Solve Workforce Needs in the Shenandoah Valley
Partnership With JMU, BRCC Helps Merck Fill Need for HPV Vaccines In 2019, Melissa Lubin learned that pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc., was competing for a billion-dollar expansion in Elkton, a town in the Shenandoah Valley.
Research Partnerships and Treatment Breakthroughs in Hampton Roads
The highly transmissible omicron variant of the novel coronavirus upended perceptions about proper mitigation. People who had been wearing fabric masks began switching over to N95 and KN95 respirators, leading to greater demand for respirators.
Partnerships Fuel Growth in Roanoke, Blacksburg
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia Tech's Rob Gourdie was busy investigating how to deliver medications more effectively.
ZielBio, Inc., Charlottesville
UVA Supports Expanding Life Sciences Industry in Charlottesville
Kimberly Kelly was a biomedical engineer at the University of Virginia (UVA), working on ways to diagnose pancreatic cancer, when she discovered a protein expressed by the cancer cells.
Aditxt, Inc., Richmond
06.08.2022
From Incubation to Collaboration
Universities, VA Bio+Tech Park Draw Investment to Richmond For communities seeking to recreate the success of well-known life sciences clusters in Boston, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News suggests there’s a straightforward formula to replicate.
Granules Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Fairfax County
Buoyed by Collaboration and Investment, Northern Virginia Life Sciences Companies Explore the Cutting Edge
Northern Virginia’s advantages in attracting talent are well known, from best-in-class public schools, to vibrant communities, to the attractions and sights of Washington, D.C.
Sauer Brands, Inc., Richmond
Sauer Sells a Virginia Tradition Overseas
From its humble 1887 beginnings selling food-flavoring extracts and spices from a pushcart on Richmond’s Broad Street, the company formerly known as The C.F. Sauer Company enters the new decade as Sauer Brands, Inc., a leading packaged-food manufacturer.
The Hershey Company, Augusta County
A Sweet Boot Camp at Hershey's
In the spring of 2018, Kristen Wilson wanted to jump back into full-time work after spending several years at home with her two children.
Unilever, Suffolk
Virginia in your Cup
A confluence of geographical, workforce, and other advantages has put Hampton Roads in a strong position in the caffeinated beverage industry.
eKare, Inc., Fairfax County
eKare Brings Medical Technology to Smartphones Around the World
COVID-19 has underscored the value of businesses embracing digital technologies in the healthcare space — from telehealth and remote patient monitoring to artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive analytics and diagnostic insights.
Industries of the Future: Ag Tech
Consumers’ increasing demand for safe, sustainable, locally grown food is driving interest and investment in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA).
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Richmond
GlaxoSmithKline Hits the Ground Running in Richmond
Despite facing an unprecedented global pandemic, executives at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK) were able to recruit 150 new employees for the company’s research and development center in Richmond.



