News & Features
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.
Filter by:
Connecting Southern Virginia to the World: A Conversation with Tad Deriso
Tad Deriso is president and CEO of Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC), a South Boston-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that has built an advanced open-access fiber optic network in Southern Virginia.
South Boston, Halifax County
Southern Virginia Rewrites Its Economic Story
Microsoft's Investments in Boydton and South Boston and its Regional Partnerships are Positioning the Region as a Tech Destination A century ago, South Boston was a tobacco-producing stalwart. In 1927 alone, the town accounted for more than 20 million pounds in tobacco sales.
The Evolution of Cloud Computing: A Conversation with Susie Adams
Susie Adams is chief technology officer for federal government business at Microsoft. She oversees and implements the technical strategy for the technology giant’s Department of Defense, civilian, and intelligence community businesses.
Moving the Needle in Rural Communities: A Conversation with Tom Barkin
Tom Barkin is the president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Barkin joined the Richmond Fed in January 2018. In his time in Richmond, Barkin has taken an interest in the issues leading to a divide between urban and rural areas in the Fed’s Fifth District.
Micron Technology, Inc., Manassas
Inside Virginia's Record-Setting Micron Project
When memory chip maker Micron Technology, Inc. committed to expand its operations in the City of Manassas in Northern Virginia, the headlines rattled off one impressive number after another: 1,100 new high-skilled jobs. Some 100,000 square feet of additional space. A $3-billion investment.
Tim Sands' Bold Vision for Virginia Tech
Timothy D. Sands is the 16th president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, joining the university in June 2014. VEDP’s President and CEO, Stephen Moret, recently spoke with President Sands about exciting new developments at Virginia Tech.
Volvo Trucks North America's VNR Electric, manufactured in Pulaski County, went on sale in 2020.
Industries of the Future: Auto Tech
Technological advancements, supply chain disruptions, and safety, environmental, and other sociopolitical factors are changing the way people and products move around the country. Manufacturers are leveraging technology, new business models, and infrastructure improvements to chart a future path.
In 2020, Walmart partnered with Virginia Beach-based DroneUp to deliver COVID-19 test kits to residents near selected stores.
Industries of the Future: Unmanned Systems
Unmanned vehicles still seem like advanced technology, but in one form or another, they’ve been making inroads into civilian life for the last 15 years.
Industries of the Future: Commercial Space
Could space-related businesses represent a $1 trillion industry by 2040? That’s the question posed by Morgan Stanley analysts in a recent report.
Dominion Energy's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind site will feature up to 180 14 MW turbines.
Industries of the Future: Offshore Wind
The global appetite for clean energy has never been higher, with businesses, individuals, and nations working to decrease their carbon emissions.
Automation and Work in "The Fourth Age": A Conversation With Byron Reese
Byron Reese is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and futurist. VEDP Executive Vice President Jason El Koubi spoke with Reese about the progression of technology and what it means for the future of the workforce.
The Present and Future of Cybersecurity
2021 started off with a cybersecurity boom: The White House officially blamed Russia for the SolarWinds hack, where its foreign intelligence service compromised a software supply chain to spy on thousands of targets, from Microsoft and FireEye to the U.S.
Virginia International Gateway, Portsmouth
The Port of Virginia: A Crucial Link in Vital Supply Chains
The last year has been challenging to all aspects of the logistics industry, and The Port of Virginia was not immune.
What's Next for the Food & Beverage Industry? A Conversation With Top Site Consultants
Food and beverage processors operate in an industry where even the most successful companies depend on low margins and economies of scale. That means even the smallest advantage can be a differentiating factor when locating a new facility.
Norfolk International Terminals, Norfolk
Completing the Chain
From the Port to Cold Storage to Packaging, Virginia's Supply Chain Helps Feed America and the World The information age has empowered consumers to demand more from their products. Deloitte’s 2019 Future of Fresh study found that two-thirds of U.S.
Aurora Flight Sciences, Manassas
America's Unmanned Future
The age of autonomous vehicles has arrived. Autonomous shuttles, cars, farm equipment, mining equipment and trucks, on-highway trucks, and construction equipment will be here soon or are already commercially available.
The Big Reveal
When Amazon announced Northern Virginia as the location for its new headquarters (HQ2), it revealed more than the winning region. It revealed Virginia’s not-so-secret identity: Technology Talent Juggernaut.
Wing debuted its U.S. drone delivery trials in Christiansburg in 2019.
A Welcoming Atmosphere
With Wing, Google Pioneers Drone Delivery in Virginia On a gravel lot just off of Welcome Street in Christiansburg in Montgomery County, an array of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) recharging pads is flanked by office trailers and shipping containers.



