GO Virginia Region 2: An Overview
GO Virginia Makes Significant Economic Impact on Region 2
GO Virginia, an economic development initiative launched by Virginia’s senior business leaders, was conceived to create higher wage jobs and grow the state’s economy through transformational projects. The initiative addresses the critical need for private sector growth and relies on effective collaboration among local businesses, higher education institutions, and local governments. Dividing the state into nine regions that are aligned geographically and share similar economic development and workforce needs, GO Virginia uses individual regional councils to oversee the efforts and project submissions for each region.
Region 2 of GO Virginia spans across three metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and regional commissions on the western half of the state. The region is comprised of the Lynchburg, New River Valley, and Roanoke-Alleghany MSAs. In total, Region 2 contains thirteen counties and five independent cities: the counties of Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, and Roanoke; and the cities of Covington, Lynchburg, Radford, Roanoke, and Salem. The region’s population of 781,531 made up 9.1% of Virginia’s 2020 total population. Each of these areas has a strong history of local cooperation, and some experience with interregional collaboration, primarily between the New River and Roanoke Valleys. Together, they all share many economic similarities: traditional industry strengths in manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture; emerging technology sectors; mixed urban and rural characteristics; and higher education and healthcare as economic and employment drivers.
The four (4) target industry clusters identified in GO Virginia Region 2 are:
- Transportation Manufacturing & Automation
- Life Sciences & Biotechnology
- IT & Emerging Technology
- Materials & Machinery Manufacturing
Virginia Tech’s Center for Economic and Community Engagement serves as Region 2’s support organization. The support organization provides fiduciary oversight and administrative services for activities related to GO Virginia in Region 2.
GO Virginia Region 2 In The News
- 'Curious Conversations' podcast: James Harder talks about emerging tech and entrepreneurship
- Randolph holds ribbon cutting for new robotics lab (Randolph College News)
- Randolph receives Go Virginia funding for new major
(Randolph College News)
- Tech entrepreneurship takes root (Virginia Tech News)
- Project providing clean manufacturing space comes to Roanoke (Cardinal News)
- Get2KnowNoke Launches Transformational Tool for Talent Attraction and Community Connectivity (The Roanoke Star)
- A program developed in SWVa will serve as a statewide model to address a shortage of health care workers (Cardinal News)
- Radford University gets grant to collaborate on IT and cybersecurity (The Roanoke Times)
- Radford University receives grant over $200k to strengthen IT & Cybersecurity workforce development (WFXR)
- Radford University secures GO Virginia grant to strengthen IT and Cybersecurity workforce development
(Radford University News)
- Abingdon workforce hub gets $1.5 million gift; more … (Cardinal News)
- GO Virginia economic development program is improving regional collaboration, state study finds (Cardinal News)
- Two out-of-town businesses are part of the Roanoke-based regional accelerator’s fall 2023 class
(Cardinal News)
- Two regional projects get green light (The Roanoke Times)
- GO Virginia announces 2 awards in Southwest Virginia; more … (Cardinal News)
- Bedford firing up tech training (Virginia Business)
- This steel mill closed in 2020. It’s being turned into a technical training center. (Cardinal News)
- 'A spring in the desert': Bedford Town EDA has big plans for workforce training center
(The News & Advance)
- Falling Branch Corporate Park Phase II receives GO Virginia funding (WDBJ7)
- Falling Branch Corporate Park to undergo Phase II of development in Montgomery County (WSET)
- GO Virginia grants benefit economic growth projects throughout the region (WDBJ7)
- Gov. Youngkin announces over $8.1 million in GO Virginia grants (WSLS)
- Two Lynchburg-area business orgs receive grant to build Center for Entrepreneurship (The News & Advance)
- Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance plans to open Center for Entrepreneurship (WSET)
- Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance awarded funds to develop center for entrepreneurship (WSET)
- GO Virginia awards $880,000 to Bedford, Lynchburg projects (Cardinal News)
- Local projects receive state funding to further grow economy (WDBJ7)
- If the Blacksburg-Roanoke-Lynchburg area wants a regional tech hub, here’s a chance to help write the rules (Cardinal News)
- House budget proposal would create program to pay tech workers $10,000 to move to New River-Roanoke-Lynchburg area (Cardinal News)
- Bank of Botetourt Names Austin its 7th President and Appoints to Board of Directors; Names CEO Hayth as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors (Cision PR Newswire)
- More lab space is being built in Blacksburg and Roanoke (Cardinal News)
- Lynchburg program recruits women for machining careers (Cardinal News)
- Lynchburg students explore careers before graduation with new internship program (The News & Advance)
- City of Lynchburg, Campbell County, and LYH Regional team up for exciting new project (WSET)
- Botetourt Technical Education Center gets GO VA Grant, will add 10 new welding booths (WSET)
- Botetourt High School Welding Program Gets A Boost (WFIR)
- Botetourt Technical Education Center receives grant funding to expand welding program (WDBJ7)
- GO Virginia approves $190K for airport project (The News & Advance)
- GO Virginia grant to bolster next-generation transportation, manufacturing workforce (VT News)
- Blockchain Certificate Program creates a space for new ideas and applications (VT News)