GO Virginia: Investing in Regional Growth on the Virginia Peninsula

The Growth and Opportunity Virginia (GO Virginia) initiative is a statewide economic development program designed to strengthen regional economies through collaboration among business, education, and local government partners. Its mission is to expand workforce opportunities, grow traded‑sector industries, support innovation, and prepare sites for future investment, with a specific emphasis on solutions that cross jurisdictional boundaries and respond to regional needs.

GO Virginia projects are organized by regions, and the Peninsula is part of Region 5. Over the past several years, GO Virginia has supported dozens of Region 5 initiatives totaling millions in awarded grants, leveraging additional local and private investment to fuel impact.

Here are some recent noteworthy Region 5 Projects:

• Hampton Roads Advanced Manufacturing Modernization with Emerging Robotics (HAMMER)

This implementation grant supports advanced manufacturing competitiveness in Region 5 by expanding access to collaborative robotic welding technology and training. It helps smaller manufacturers adopt advanced tools and improve productivity — directly strengthening a key employer base across the Peninsula and broader region.

• Hampton Roads Investment Playbook

This was featured in a past newsletter. This is a regional investment playbook that identifies opportunities to grow targeted industry clusters, making the region more competitive for investment and business attraction. The strategy work will focus on the following industry clusters: Defense, Energy, Aerospace, Logistics.

• Economic Access Initiative Expansion

Versability received $305,000 in GO Virginia funding to expand training and career pathways aligned with high‑demand fields, including shipbuilding, cybersecurity, data analytics, logistics, and warehousing. This initiative helps create upwardly mobile career opportunities throughout Region 5 communities, including the Peninsula.

These recent awards reflect GO Virginia’s emphasis on workforce development and industry competitiveness, from skills training to regional strategy planning, and demonstrate how collaborative investment can amplify local efforts to grow jobs and strengthen economic resilience.