Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
Driving Economic Transformation
Southern Virginia continues to attract robust businesses from various industry sectors, just some of which include high-performance manufacturing, environmental and life sciences, advanced materials, and IT and professional services. At the heart of this path to prosperity lies strong partnerships with the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance and other equally minded ambassadors of regional economic transformation. IALR is proud to serve as a champion and work with local, regional and state partners as well as others to continue building an environment attractive and beneficial to sought-after business prospects.
IALR’s Economic Development department partners with the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA) to build a strong economy for the citizens in the Southern Virginia area. Their ultimate goal is to recruit new businesses, help grow existing companies, bring jobs and create capital investment for the region. Together, they catalog and market the collective assets of the region, including sites and buildings, skilled talent, quality of life attributes and the convenience, accessibility and economic advantages of our location.
In addition to SVRA, IALR’s Economic Development team collaborates with other economic developers and proudly serves as the region’s liaison with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The department is actively involved with state and regional associations like the Virginia Economic Developers Association and the Virginia Maritime Association. They also manage the administration of the Southern Piedmont Technology Council, a member-based organization consisting of technology companies and advocates from across Southern Virginia.