Roanoke Region of Virginia: Growing Research and Innovation
Technology is being created, manufactured, and distributed in the Roanoke Region’s innovation corridor.
Q4 2021

In the Roanoke Region of Virginia, we have a clear vision of the future. In our plan, businesses, government, and education work together seamlessly to build workforce and drive innovation. Lucky for you, we are well on our way.
Just like Roanoke’s burgeoning biotech hub, many of the innovation corridors on the horizon have excellent startup support, new infrastructure projects coming online each year, and coworking spaces and accelerators that create the perfect environment for collaborative research.
So, what does the Roanoke Region have that the others don’t?
For starters, our beautiful mountain metro is actually a place where people want to live. With trails, rivers, and greenways marbling our urban core, you can walk out the front door of your office and be mountain biking in minutes; a couple minutes more and you’re at your choice of 16 breweries; a few more and you’re home. No commute, no traffic, no urban sprawl — making attracting and retaining top talent effortless.
Location, location, location — it’s an old saying for a reason. Because it matters. In our innovation corridor you can create the latest technology, manufacture it here, distribute it here, and have it shipped to 2/3 of the U.S. population within a day’s drive — one-stop shopping for industries of any sector.
Regional leadership developed 50- to 100-acre, pad-ready sites that are municipally owned, have utilities in place, and are strategically located to make any innovation-based company thrive. With over $560 million in annual research spending at Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTC), and the Fralin Biomedical Institute (the latter two located in downtown Roanoke), there has never been a better time for life science, innovation, technology, and advanced manufacturing in our region.
Don’t believe the hype? Ask any question you want during an unprecedented conversation with top innovation leadership. Join Michael Freidlander, Ph.D., the executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Institute; Don Halliwell, the chief financial officer of Carilion Clinic; and John Hull, the executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, for a webinar on the future of innovation.
Get details at Roanoke.org/Innovation-Corridor.
Project Announcements
Canada-Based Laserglow Technologies Plans Sterling Heights, Michigan, Assembly-Logistics Operations
10/09/2025
Geotab USA Plans Madison Heights, Michigan, Operations
10/09/2025
Walmart Plans Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Fulfillment Operations
10/08/2025
Eaton Expands North Charleston, South Carolina, Aerospace Manufacturing Operations
10/08/2025
Dover Food Retail Plans Chesterfield County, Virginia, Production Operations
10/08/2025
Canada-Based Lefko USA Plans New Braunfels, Texas, U.S. Manufacturing Operations
10/08/2025
Most Read
-
2025’s Top States for Business: How the Winners Are Outpacing the Rest
Q3 2025
-
Tariffs, Talent, and U.S. Expansion
Q3 2025
-
The Compliance Reckoning Is Here
Q3 2025
-
Around the Horn: Data Center Supply Chains — What's Next?
Q3 2025
-
Data Center Demand Stabilizes Amid Changing Market Forces
Q3 2025
-
Powering the Next Generation of Projects
Q3 2025
-
How Consumer Trends Are Reshaping Food Facilities
Q3 2025