Virginia Chamber of Commerce Presents Blueprint 2035

On December 5th, 2025, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce presented the Blueprint Virginia 2035 to Governor Abigail Spanberger at the 2025 Virginia Economic Summit and Forum on International Trade in Richmond, VA. The Blueprint Virginia 2035 is a strategic plan aimed at strengthening the Commonwealth’s economy over the next decade and keep Virginia as a top state for business attraction and development.

The main focus areas of the blueprint include business climate, education and workforce, infrastructure, housing, innovation and technology, military and veterans affairs, healthcare and life sciences, legal climate, and business sustainability. The plan was developed over the course of the year through meetings in each of the nine GO Virginia regions, including Region 7 (Northern Virginia) in partnership with stakeholder groups and local chambers. In addition to regional meetings, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce conducted a series of statewide, regional and industry-specific surveys throughout the year to inform the plan

Th Blueprint Virginia 2035 emphasizes a statewide strategy for long‑term economic competitiveness, but many of its core recommendations align specially closely with our own Growth and Diversification Plan the conditions, assets, and constraints of GO Virginia Region 7, which includes the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William.

Workforce and Talent Pipeline: Region 7’s economy anchored by federal agencies, government contractors, tech firms, and research universities heavily relies on a deep, innovative talent pool. Blueprint Virginia 2035’s call to expand work‑based learning, internships, apprenticeships, and employer partnerships is directly relevant to Northern Virginia’s labor market needs. The Blueprint prioritizes scaling the Virginia Innovative Internship Program, incentivizing employers to hire interns, integrating AI and digital literacy, and strengthening pathways from K‑12 to high‑demand fields. These recommendations align with Region 7’s requirements for continuous upskilling in cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and life sciences. Additionally, Blueprint proposals addressing childcare affordability and accessibility are critical in NoVA, where high costs often limit participation of working parents and contribute to labor shortages.

Infrastructure and Energy Reliability: Infrastructure recommendations in the Blueprint, including permitting reform, digitized and accelerated approvals, and expansion of energy capacity, have heightened relevance for Region 7. The area’s dense development, rapidly growing data‑center load, and transportation congestion require reliable, resilient energy infrastructure and streamlined project delivery. The Blueprint’s emphasis on creating faster siting and permitting processes for transmission lines and new generation capacity and its support for diversified baseload options such as small modular reactors—addresses a fundamental constraint on Northern Virginia’s continued growth.

Housing Supply and Affordability: Region 7 faces the Commonwealth’s most acute housing affordability pressures. Blueprint Virginia 2035 recommends expanding supply at all price points, implementing fast‑track permitting, modernizing zoning, minimizing exclusionary land‑use practices, and encouraging transit‑oriented development. These policy levers directly respond to NoVA’s combination of high demand, limited land availability, and complex local review processes. The Blueprint also encourages employer‑assisted housing programs and expanded uses of the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, both of which align with Region 7’s need to retain workforce closer to job centers.

Business Climate, Innovation, and Technology:

The plan outlines strategies to maintain Virginia’s competitiveness through improved tax competitiveness, business‑ready site development, and targeted industry promotion. For Region 7, recommendations to proactively market Virginia as a hub for AI, quantum computing, aerospace/defense, biotechnology, and autonomous systems reinforce existing regional strengths and help attract next‑generation firms. The Blueprint also calls for modernized permitting and integrated digital portals for business formation, reducing friction for startups and scaling companies operating in the region.

Legal, Military, Healthcare, and Sustainability: The proposal to establish a specialized business court docket would significantly benefit Region 7, where complex commercial litigation is common. The region’s considerable military‑affiliated population also benefits from expanded licensure reciprocity and workforce transition programs. In healthcare, recommendations to increase preventive care access support growing and diverse populations across Northern Virginia. Sustainability goals around resilient infrastructure further align with the region’s vulnerability to congestion, energy constraints, and rapid growth.

A Call to Collective Action for Region 7

Region 7 stands at a pivotal moment, one defined by extraordinary opportunity but also mounting pressure on the systems that underpin our economic success. Blueprint Virginia 2035 makes clear that the most urgent challenges facing the Commonwealth—workforce shortages, housing affordability, infrastructure strain, technological disruption, and energy reliability are felt with particular intensity in Northern Virginia. The Blueprint emphasizes expanded work‑based learning and childcare access to strengthen talent pipelines, faster and more coordinated permitting to accelerate infrastructure and housing delivery, and targeted support for high‑growth sectors such as AI, cybersecurity, aerospace, and life sciences. These are precisely the areas where Region 7 must lead.

At the same time, the Blueprint’s development process underscores the importance of strong regional engagement. Through regional tours and direct input sessions, including the Region 7 meeting at George Mason University’s Science and Technology Campus, leaders across Northern Virginia already helped shape statewide priorities. Now, the task before us is to convert that vision into implementation.

To do this effectively, Region 7 must work collaboratively across jurisdictions, industries, and institutions. Northern Virginia’s economy is deeply interconnected; workforce lives in one locality, schools operate in another, businesses cluster in a third, and infrastructure binds them all together. No single city, county, or organization can solve challenges of this scale alone. But as a unified region, we can align our strategies, pool our strengths, and unlock the competitive advantage that collaboration uniquely provides.

GO Virginia is designed for exactly this purpose: regional economic transformation driven by cross‑sector partnership. By coming together to pursue GO Virginia funding, Region 7 can move from planning to action—launching shared talent initiatives, scaling tech apprenticeship pipelines, advancing innovation district infrastructure, accelerating housing solutions tied to job centers, and preparing our energy and transportation systems for the next decade of growth.

The Blueprint gives us the roadmap, but only regional leadership can turn it into measurable progress. The stakes are high: global competitiveness, quality of life, and the resilience of our workforce and businesses. Yet the opportunity is even greater. Northern Virginia has the talent, the institutions, the industry clusters, and the entrepreneurial capacity to set the pace for the Commonwealth.

By aligning around shared priorities and leveraging GO Virginia resources, Region 7 can ensure that our region not only meets today’s needs but also positions itself as the engine of innovation and economic dynamism for Virginia’s future. Now is the time to act—together—so that Region 7 continues to lead the Commonwealth in prosperity, opportunity, and long‑term competitiveness.