Modeling & Simulation in Virginia

Virginia is Positioned to Lead the Nation

Virginia’s strategic modeling & simulation assets deliver real solutions. Your company will operate in an environment that is close to government and military decision-makers, as well as modeling & simulation centers of excellence.

Virginia is the Best State for Business

Streamlined business regulations, moderate corporate taxes, coordinated state-supported workforce training, and export assistance combine to create an innovative economic strategy for the Commonwealth and one of the most prosperous business environments for our industrial community.

As a testament to this, Virginia consistently receives top rankings from several industry-oriented publications and associations. In recent months, our state has been named Top State for Business by CNBC and the Top Pro-Business State by Pollina Corporate Real Estate, Inc. And, for the second year in a row, Virginia is ranked the Best State for Business by Forbes.com. In each analysis, cost of doing business, quality of workforce, and regulatory environment all drove Virginia to the top. While Virginia offers tax credits, job training, and cash grants to qualifying companies, the above on-going business considerations are what will minimize your company’s operating costs year-after-year.

Strategic Mid-Atlantic Location

• Adjacent to Washington, D.C.

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  Within 750 miles of two-thirds of the U.S. population
• Home to federal government decision-makers and more than 2,200 Department of Defense contractors
• 31 military facilities, including The Pentagon, Ft. Belvoir, Joint Forces Command and Joint Warfighting Center
• Served by 14 commercial airports with more than 600 direct destinations worldwide
• Washington Dulles International Airport serves more than 70 U.S. cities and 38 nonstop foreign destinations
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has 370 daily flights to 60 nonstop destinations
• Norfolk International Airport has 224 nonstop and direct flights each day to more than 25 major cities throughout the U.S.

Virginia's Modeling & Simulations Assets

Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) -- Suffolk, Virginia
VMASC is a multi-disciplinary modeling, simulation and visualization collaborative research center with more than 100 industry, government and academic members. VMASC supports Old Dominion University’s Modeling & Simulation programs, offering multi-disciplinary bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees.

Core Areas of Interest

1. Military M&S (primarily combat simulators)
2. Homeland Security and Defense
3. Enterprise Executable Architectures
4. Transportation
5. Games for Education
6. Medical Simulation

Current Projects

1. Homeland Defense M&S
2. Crowd Modeling
3. Cognitive Task Analysis
4. Enhanced Visualization
5. Human Systems Integration Support
6. Medical Mass Casualty Modeling
7. Virtual Non-Lethal Weapon Development

Emergency Management Training, Analysis & Simulation Center -- Suffolk, Virginia
EMTASC is one of a kind and is the flagship for introducing the M&S industry into new fields and helping shape Virginia’s future as a high technology center of excellence.

• Premier provider of operational training and support for homeland security emergency command and management agencies
• Serves to mitigate loss of life and property due to man-made and natural disasters by preparing emergency command and management personnel and organizations
• Employs world-class expertise and state-of-the-art modeling & simulation tools to conduct training, exercises, analysis and operational support for disaster management and homeland security situations

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) -- Arlington, Virginia
DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense.

• Manages and directs selected basic and applied research and development projects for DoD
• Pursues research and technology where risk and payoff are both very high and where success may provide dramatic advances for traditional military roles and mission

Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO) -- Alexandria, Virginia
DMSO is the catalyst organization for Department of Defense modeling & simulation and ensures that M&S technology development is consistent with other related initiatives.

• Performs key corporate-level functions necessary to encourage cooperation, synergism and cost-effectiveness among the M&S activities of the DoD components
• Supports the warfighter by leading a defense-wide team in fostering the interoperability, reuse and affordability of M&S and the responsive application of these tools to provide revolutionary warfighting capabilities and improve aspects of DoD operations

National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC) -- Ashburn, Virginia
NCAC is a collaborative effort among the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and George Washington University.

• Comprised of faculty, research staff and graduate students with extensive experience in automotive and highway safety engineering
• Simulation and advanced computing research represent the core of NCAC activity

National Center for Collaboration in Medical Modeling & Simulation -- Norfolk, Virginia
Established in 2001 as a joint project of Eastern Virginia Medical School and Old Dominion University, this center has four basic objectives:

1. Development of new modeling & simulation technologies
2. Development of regional models and simulations to provide for planning, training and decision support for events that produce mass casualties
3. Integration of simulation throughout the medical education continuum
4. The validation of medical simulators

Education Leaders in Modeling & Simulation

Virginia’s higher education system has long understood the importance of modeling & simulation. Many state institutions offer advanced classes in M&S, and are affiliated with the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center.

• Old Dominion University developed the world’s first doctoral degree program in modeling & simulation—the nation’s first doctorate degree awarded in 2003. ODU also offers undergraduate and master’s degrees in M&S
• More than 3,500 students are enrolled in modeling & simulation-related courses in Virginia institutions of higher education
• Virginia’s Community College System provides occupational and technical training programs, many of which are designed specifically to meet the needs of nearby industries
• 37 higher education institutions offer programs in computer science, engineering and information systems
• Nearly 25,000 doctoral scientists and engineers reside in Virginia, one of the highest concentrations in the nation

Every state university in Virginia offers courses in modeling & simulation:

• University of Virginia
• The College of William & Mary
• Virginia Tech
• George Mason University
• James Madison University
• Norfolk State University
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Hampton University
• Old Dominion University

Modeling & Simulation Companies in Virginia

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M&S Empolyment in Virginia

Source: Virginia Employment Commission

Virginia is Ranked 2nd in DOD Prime Contract Awards