Virginia Biotechnology Association

Together, We're Working Wonders in Virginia

Welcome to VaBio.org

Bioscience in Virginia

The Virginia Biotechnology Association (VaBIO) is the 200-member statewide non-profit
organization that promotes the scientific and economic impact of the life sciences
industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia. More than 175 biotechnology, equipment,
pharmaceutical and medical device companies are based in Virginia, mainly clustered
around universities in Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, Norfolk and Northern
Virginia. Of these companies, approximately 82 are biotechnology firms, 29 medical
device companies, 28 contract research and support organizations, and 31 businesses
that produce sophisticated equipment supporting the bioscience industry. In addition,
Virginia is home to 6 bio-remediation firms.

The greatest concentration of companies, approximately 34%, is located in Northern
Virginia. The greater Richmond region is second with 30%, the Charlottesville area with
15%, Western Virginia with 14% and the balance located in Hampton Roads.
Based upon surveys conducted of Virginia’s biotech companies, more than half, 52%,
are focused on therapeutic products and 14% on diagnostics. The focus of the remaining
companies is divided among areas of concentration such as biodefense, bioinformatics
and agricultural biosciences.

Virginia is also home to one of the most advanced bioscience research institutes in the
world. The Janelia Farm Research Campus (JFRC) of the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute (HHMI) opened in October 2006. Located on a 689-acre property in Northern
Virginia, the unique, world-class biomedical research complex represents a $500 million
investment by HHMI – one of the largest philanthropies in the world. The campus
includes 760,000 square feet of laboratory space, in addition to facilities to support
collaborations with scientists from around the world. Recruitment of the interdisciplinary
scientific staff is well underway. When fully operational in 2009, JFRC will house 300
scientists. JFRC will emphasize collaborative, technology-driven research in two broad
areas: understanding how neuronal circuits process information, and developing new
imaging technologies and computational methods for image analysis.

Support for the Biosciences in Virginia

Virginia is home to many bioscience research parks and incubators dedicated to helping
emerging life science companies get off the ground.

  • The Fairfax County BioAccelerator was established in northern Virginia in 2003.
    The accelerator, which can accommodate 10 to 12 early-stage bioscience or
    bioinformatics companies, currently houses five companies. Companies joining
    the BioAccelerator receive a range of customized business development services
    especially designed for early-stage bioscience and bioinformatics firms.
  • The Virginia Bioscience Development Center is a 27,000-square-foot incubator
    located in the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in Richmond. The center
    provides business assistance and office and wet lab space for seed and early-
    stage bioscience companies. The center is currently serving 22 client companies.
  • The Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, located on a 34-acre site in
    downtown Richmond, adjacent to the VCU Medical Center continues to expand
    with construction of a new multi-tenant facility scheduled for completion in early-
    2007. The Park is home to more than 50 national and international bioscience
    companies; research institutes affiliated with the VCU Medical Center; major
    state and national medical, forensic, and public health laboratories; and
    organizations involved with management of the nation’s organ transplantation
    process. After completion of the new 450,000-square-foot Philip Morris Center for
    Research and Technology in 2007, the Park will be two-thirds developed.
    Ultimately, the Park is projected to contain more than 1.5 million square feet of
    space and will be an employment center of more than 3,000 life science
    professionals.
  • INNOVATION@Prince William Technology Park is a 1,600-acre technology park
    owned by both public and private developers in Prince William County.
    Biotechnology is a key component of INNOVATION, which is planned and zoned
    for immediate bioscience laboratory, production, testing, and development
    facilities. In addition to major pharmaceutical and bioscience firms, the Park will
    also accommodate the recently announced Virginia Department of Forensic
    Science Northern Virginia laboratory; GMU’s Regional Biocontainment
    Laboratory; and the Alexandria Technology Center, which, when fully developed,
    could contain up to 400,000 square feet in specialized biotechnology space.
  • The University of Virginia’s Fontaine Research Park is a 54-acre research park
    which, when completely developed, will include nearly 400,000 square feet. The
    Advanced Research and Technology Building, the last building to be built in the
    park, is currently in the final planning stages.
  • The University of Virginia Research Park at North Fork is a 562-acre, mixed-use
    park that will, when completed, include facilities for laboratory research, medical,
    and pharmaceutical companies as well as residential, retail, and other uses. The
    Emerging Technology Center, a 40,000-square-foot, multi-tenant building,
    provides both wet- and dry-lab space.
  • The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC), located on 120 acres
    adjacent to the Virginia Tech campus, contains 16 single- and multi-tenant
    buildings.
  • Riverstone Technology Park in Halifax County is a 165-acre technology park
    owned and managed by the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority that
    is targeting biomanufacturing. A $12 million, 67,000-square-foot, multi-tenant
    building has been constructed to attract biotechnology, R&D, and technical
    training.
  • The Riverside Center for Research and Technology in Roanoke is a 110.5-acre,
    city-developed research park situated just south of Roanoke’s central business
    district. The Carilion Biomedical Institute (CBI), the first tenant of Riverside
    Center, is currently constructing an $8 million office and laboratory complex. CBI,
    founded with a $20 million grant from Carilion Health System and headquartered
    in Roanoke, is a partnership between the Health System, Virginia Tech, and the
    University of Virginia. Its mission is to foster collaborative research among the
    partners and enhance regional economic infrastructure through investing in very
    early-stage companies with disruptive technologies.

Workforce Development

Virginia offers one of the most educated labor forces in the nation. With 90 colleges and
universities and 23 community colleges, Virginia has the 11th largest higher education
system in the U.S. Over 19,000 doctoral scientists and engineers are employed by
Virginia companies – more than any other southeastern state and the eighth largest
concentration in the U.S. Each year, nearly 3,000 bioscience-related degrees are
awarded by Virginia colleges and universities.

Forbes.com Names Virginia #1 “Best State for Business”

Virginia placed first among the 50 states in a new ranking of the “Best States for
Business” by Forbes.com, the official Internet site of the Forbes family of business
publications. The review published in August 2006 included consideration of multiple
objective measurements, including business cost, regulatory climate, quality of the
workforce, and economic growth.

“To compile our listing of the best states for business, we ranked all 50 states on 30
metrics in six main categories: business costs, economic climate, growth prospects,
labor, quality of life and regulatory environment. The data produced a clear No. 1. The
Commonwealth of Virginia takes the crown in our first ever ranking of Top States for
Business,” Forbes reports. Texas was ranked second, followed by North Carolina, Utah,
and Colorado. Idaho, Nebraska, Delaware, Florida, and Georgia rounded out the Forbes’
top ten.

Bioscience companies that locate research and development and manufacturing
operations in Virginia come to find a low-cost business climate that provides efficiency in
laws, regulations, tax structure and policies, enabling them to save time and money.
Wage and payroll costs are significantly below the U.S. average.

Discoveries in biotechnology can significantly enhance our quality of life in many areas,
from the food we eat, to the medicines we use, to the environment in which we live. This
important research enables Virginians to develop new medicines and foods to improve
the lives of our fellow citizens here in the Commonwealth and around the globe.