Key Industries
Target Sectors
Transformative Technologies
The Shenandoah Valley is driving innovation through a growing network of science, technology, and research-based industries with an ecosystem formed by strong university partnerships, a skilled workforce, and a business-friendly environment. Our vibrant urban communities like Harrisonburg and Staunton are ideal for tech-based companies seeking a strategic East Coast location.
What makes the Shenandoah Valley a strategic home for transformative technologies?
- A pipeline of highly educated talent is produced in our region’s 10 colleges and universities and numerous technical centers with classes that include programs in computer science, engineering, data analytics, and cybersecurity. Examples include James Madison University’s Center for Forensics and Information Security, Virginia Military Institute’s Computer and Information Sciences with a minor in Cyber Security, Bridgewater College’s degree in Computer Science and Blue Ridge Community College’s Cyber Security program.
- We support innovation with university tech-transfer programs and co-working spaces that provide start-up support, commercialization assistance, access to peer professional expertise, and quick access to leading university research.
- The Shenandoah Valley is one of three targeted locations in Virginia that is part of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Rural and Small Metro Tech Centers Initiative. Thanks to our region’s access to a highly educated workforce, low cost of doing business, and phenomenal quality of life, we’re working with our state partners to encourage companies to find their tech talent in the Shenandoah Valley.
Bio-Innovation
The Shenandoah Valley is an emerging hub for bio-innovation, offering companies a combination of skilled talent, strategic location, and supportive infrastructure.
Our region benefits from collaborative partnerships with higher education like James Madison University (JMU), recognized by the Carnegie Classification as R2 High Research University and from a workforce skilled in services supporting bio-innovation like manufacturing, logistics and quality-assurance.
With proximity to Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA, companies have access to federal agencies and bio-tech partners while benefiting from the rich quality of life the Shenandoah Valley offers.
The Shenandoah Valley’s advanced manufacturing expertise and proximity to James Madison University make it a prime location for biopharmaceuticals. Merck’s recent multibillion-dollar investment in its Center for Pharmaceutical Excellence highlights the region’s capacity for biopharmaceutical production and research. The Valley is equally well positioned for growth across the broader life sciences sector, supported by JMU’s biotechnology and health sciences programs. Research centers such as the Center for Genome & Metagenome Studies foster applied innovation in biomanufacturing and molecular biology and a growing workforce pipeline.
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