Life Sciences in Virginia

Where New Discoveries are Made Every Day

In an increasingly competitive environment, life science firms worldwide are facing new challenges in the development and commercialization of new vaccines, new technologies and new pharmaceuticals. Many of these firms are finding success thanks to the business environment offered in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In 2007, the unmatched business environment of the Commonwealth was validated by a number of independent sources using multiple objective measurements – Virginia was recognized as the Best State for Business (2006 & 2007) by Forbes.com, America’s Top State for Business by CNBC, and America’s Most Business Friendly State by Pollina Corporate Real Estate, Inc. These sources just reaffirm what
Virginia companies already know – that Virginia offers an environment where companies can thrive and compete in today’s global economy.

Every day, Virginians make new discoveries in the life sciences at world-class research and development centers across all regions of Virginia. Virginia is home to some of the top colleges and universities in the nation, and one of the most skilled and educated workforces. Situated in the mid-Atlantic region and adjacent to Washington, D.C., the Commonwealth offers a strategic location and a low-cost business climate that provides efficiency in laws, tax regulations and policies. Wages and payroll costs are below the U.S. average. Virginia also offers an unsurpassed quality of life – with the beauty of the state on display from the shores of the Atlantic to the majestic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In the past decade, the life science industry has announced 4,100 jobs and $2 billion investment in new and expanding business in Virginia. Firms including Merck, Barr Laboratories, Wyeth, Boehringer Ingelheim and others have made significant investments in Virginia’s life science industry. The life science industry receives dedicated support from federal agencies and organizations including the Virginia Biotechnology Association (VaBIO), a professional association that promotes the biotechnology industry through events and research studies. VaBIO also represents the interests of the biotechnology industry before federal, state and local legislators and regulators. Other organizations include the Virginia Biosciences Development Center, the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology and 10 regional technology councils. Major research universities and research centers –including Virginia Tech, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Janelia Farm Campus, the SRI Center for Advanced Drug Research, and American Type Culture Collection – also support life science firms and provide an environment necessary for long-term success.

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Recent Milestones in Virginia’s Life Science Industry

August 2007
Philip Morris USA neared completion of its $350 million Center for Research and Technology. The center will employ over 500 life science and support personnel in a 450,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility located at the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park in Richmond.

July 2007
Ground was broken on the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute. The Institute, with plans to open in 2011, will be the sixth proton center in the nation and the largest of any in existence. Once open, the center is expected to treat more than 2,000 cancer patients a year. The Institute will stand apart from other facilities in the country by training physicians and scientists in proton therapy and will serve as a site for clinical trials.

March 2007
The Center for Innovative Technology announced that the CIT Growth Acceleration Program (GAP) launched a new fund, the GAP BioLife Fund, a seed-stage venture fund to support emerging life science companies in Virginia. The fund will have specific focus on new life science company formation resulting from technology transfer collaboration with Virginia’s universities and federal laboratories. The fund was established through a grant from Johnson & Johnson and matched by CIT.

December 2006
SRI International, an independent, nonprofit research institute, announced that it will establish a new Center for Advanced Drug Research (CADRE) in the Rockingham Center for Research and Technology in Rockingham County. Through CADRE, SRI will partner with James Madison University and other Virginia institutions in its research efforts. SRI plans to add other high-technology programs in areas such as homeland security, engineering, nanotechnology, energy, information technology and education at this site.

September 2006
Howard Hughes Medical Institute – Janelia Farm Research Campus opened. The 689 acre campus in Loudoun County houses 250 resident staff with the overall objective of pursuing fundamental problems in basic biomedical research that are difficult to approach in academia or industry. The main areas of focus will be identification of general principles that govern how information is processed by neuronal circuits, and the development of imaging technologies and computational methods for image analysis.

Virginia's Workforce Advantages

Virginia’s success in attracting the life science industry is due in part to a highly capable workforce educated by some of our nation’s best colleges and universities that offer life science programs and research institutes. Three of its universities, University of Virginia, The College of William & Mary and
Virginia Tech, are ranked by U.S. News & World Report to be among the nation’s top 25 public universities. Each year, more than 8,000 life science-related degrees are awarded to students at Virginia’s colleges and universities.

Virginia’s labor force is ranked in the top ten states in labor productivity, and is increasingly characterized as high-tech. In its most recent study, the National Science Foundation reports that more than 24,940 doctoral scientists and engineers reside in Virginia – 9th highest concentration in the nation. Virginia enrolls 420,000 students in nearly 100 higher education institutions and more than 12,000 degrees are awarded annually in science and engineering. Virginia’s technology job growth rate is the third highest in the nation. The Virginia Council on Advanced Technology Skills will be led by the Virginia Biotechnology Association, the Virginia Manufacturers Association, and Training and Development Corporation in collaboration with some of Virginia’s leading private sector employers. The project will create a new employer-validated certification system and an innovative employer-designed training program for advanced manufacturing technicians. The project is made possible through a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor – one of only 11 grants awarded through the resident’s High Growth Job Training Initiative.

Selected Life Science & Engineering Degrees Awarded in Virginia, 2005-2006

A Leader in High-Tech Employment

Virginia was named the state with the highest concentration of tech workers as a percentage of the private sector workforce by AeA, the nation’s largest trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry. High-tech firms employ 89 of every 1,000 private sector workers.