Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is a diverse region with a strong manufacturing base and vibrant technology sector that includes innovations in agriculture, information technology, health care, and advanced manufacturing, fostering a stable economy where companies thrive.
State-of-the-art broadband infrastructure, an outstanding labor force, and more than 30 available sites and buildings combine to make Southwest Virginia a low-cost business destination.
Building on a rich history of federal investments in fiber optics as well as pioneering tax advantages, Virginia hosts the largest data center market in the world and is home to more than 35% (~150) of all known hyperscale data centers worldwide.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership completed, in December 2017, a five-year (FY19-FY23) Strategic Plan for Economic Development of the Commonwealth, as required by the Code of Virginia as part of VEDP reforms enacted by state leaders in 2017. In addition to the Strategic Plan for Economic Development of the Commonwealth, each Gubernatorial Administration is required by Code to release an Economic Development Policy in the first year of the Administration.
These documents are provided as resource documents for Virginia’s economic development community.
Impacts of Virginia’s Data Center Industry and Site Location Criteria (2023)
In partnership with the National Center For Economic Gardening (NCEG), Virginia's statewide Economic Gardening program provides qualifying second-stage companies with custom resources to identify and resolve distinct growth challenges that traditional business assistance and incentives do not address.
Eligible companies will receive customized services from a team of research specialists, including, but not limited to:
Virginia’s collection of assets in the air, on land, and at sea uniquely position the Commonwealth to serve as a leader in this emerging industry. Home to one of six FAA-designated UAS test sites and two NASA facilities focusing on UAS research, Langley Research Center and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia is poised to lead this promising disruptive technology sector and host unmanned systems manufacturing and testing.
With a thriving industrial and innovation ecosystem, a top-ranked business climate, and a highly skilled workforce, Virginia is an outstanding choice for aerospace and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) companies. In the past decade, 60 aerospace and UAS projects have been announced in Virginia, representing over 4,600 jobs and over $865 million in investment.