MANASSAS, Va. – Northern Virginia’s first Innovation District is officially underway, thanks to a major investment from the state.
Governor Glenn Youngkin recently announced a $2.6 million grant from GO Virginia, a state-funded initiative focused on strengthening regional economies and supporting high-wage industries. Local governments, businesses, and educational institutions will contribute an additional $1.3 million, bringing the total initial investment to $3.9 million.
According to a concept plan document from 2024, the goal of the Innovation District — placed around the GMU SciTech Campus — is to connect jurisdictions and industry to create “lasting benefits for the community.”
“Serving as a catalyst, convener, connector, communicator and capacity-builder, the Innovation District will be a destination for ambitious minds to fuel lasting economic growth and well-being in the City of Manassas, Prince William County and beyond,” the document states.
George Mason University is leading a major effort to create Northern Virginia’s first Innovation District, a sprawling 3,800-acre economic development zone centered around GMU’s SciTech Campus in Manassas and neighboring areas of Prince William County.
During a presentation at the Manassas City Council meeting on Monday, March 24, Amy Adams, executive director of the Institute for BioHealth Innovation at GMU, detailed the university’s vision for the Innovation District. The project would be anchored by George Mason’s research presence and designed to spur growth in four key sectors: aerospace and defense, life sciences, cybersecurity, and semiconductors.
