GOALS

Meeting the Challenge 

As the U.S. economy continues to grow and produce jobs, the ongoing economic recovery has benefited urban areas disproportionately. Rural America and inner cities continue to suffer from job losses, income stagnation and diminished economic opportunity. This stark economic reality is attributable in part to globalization, a process that has made it attractive for businesses to move production facilities to foreign countries with lower wages and costs. It’s also due to automation which is destroying traditional occupations even as it opens up new ones.

To address these developments Virginia needs a cohesive strategy that integrates advanced industrial development with statewide job creation and economic sustainability. We believe that such a strategy properly executed will attract investments for innovative clean technology businesses that will provide stable, long-term employment for Virginians.

A Holistic Approach

Ascent Virginia’s job creation focus is part of a broader, more holistic approach to advancing Virginia’s economic and environmental future. Ascent Virginia seeks to be a partner in Virginia’s growing renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. To further that partnership we are actively engaging sustainability advocates and technology leaders to help plan and create “smart” cities, towns and counties which incorporate sustainable living, clean energy, advanced IT technologies, cutting-edge community health, and breakthrough transportation solutions. This will in turn spawn new economic opportunities in green building and construction, product design and production for the internet of things, monitoring sensors, health services, recycling and next-generation transportation.

Our Goals

We’re inviting you to join us to help make Virginia a place where job creation, economic development and innovation happen. Already we have a diverse group of committed supporters working with us, and more people are joining us each month. With your help we will create a coalition that will pave the way for long-term prosperity for Virginians as we build this new emerging economy together. We seek to:

  1. Attract investments in clean manufacturing, software, services and energy.

  2. Provide solutions for businesses seeking to create jobs and accelerate clean technology innovation and production.

  3. Create a wide range of opportunities that extend to every community in Virginia by linking innovation, workforce development, manufacturing, and market expansion.

  4. Leverage the commonwealth’s university and urban infrastructure in order to create innovation centers and startup incubators. Those innovation centers and incubators will work with both urban and rural communities to create manufacturing and advanced technology hubs for the world’s clean technology goods and services.

  5. Connect national and regional clean technology businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators to development opportunities in Virginia.