The Prince William County Science Accelerator recently opened its doors, offering an innovative location for early stage life sciences companies in the Northern Virginia region.

The 9,000-square-foot facility offers companies wet lab space for lease that can be built-out to meet specific client needs. Building on the existing industry cluster in the region, the Science Accelerator is expected to serve as a catalyst, accelerating the growth of smaller life sciences companies.

The Science Accelerator is located at Innovation Technology Park, a world-class research and technology park in Prince William County. Anchored by one of George Mason University’s campuses, the 1600-acre corporate park is 20 miles from Washington Dulles International Airport and 30 minutes from the Capitol Beltway. The high-tech hub is home to numerous corporate and institutional clients, including the Virginia Department of Forensic Science, the FBI Northern Virginia Resident Agency, Mediatech, ATCC, and the GMU/NIH Biosafety Research Lab.

Another example of the many successful public-private partnerships in Virginia, the Science Accelerator was developed by the Prince William County Department of Economic Development, Rinker Design Associates P.C., and NAL Research.

Virginia has recently gained recognition for its life sciences industry as the No. 2 Emerging Biotech Hub in Business Facilities’ 2012 State Rankings Report. The Commonwealth offers companies a central location in the mid-Atlantic life sciences corridor combined with access to leading research institutes, including SRI International, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 11 Federally Funded R&D Centers, and 20 FLC laboratories.

To learn why nearly 800 life science companies have chosen a Virginia location, click here.

A view of the Prince William Science Accelerator at Innovation Technology Park. Courtesy of Prince William County.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) honored Virginia Delegate R. Steven Landes as its State Legislator of the Year at the recent 2012 BIO International Convention in Boston, Mass.

Delegate Landes was recognized for his efforts in advancing the field of biotech and supporting legislation to make Virginia a top state to attract and retain life sciences businesses.

BIO is the world’s largest biotech organization and the BIO International Convention is the largest global event for the biotech industry with 15,000 attendees at its annual conference.

Delegate Landes was given the award in the Virginia Pavilion, a 1,500-square-foot space organized by VEDP. The Pavilion showcased Virginia’s universities, companies and local economic development groups in the Commonwealth’s major life science clusters: Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Charlottesville, Greater Richmond, and the I-81 Corridor.

With its central location in the Mid-Atlantic Life Science cluster and strong technology and life sciences workforce, Virginia’s biotech industry is on the rise. Top research institutions such as SRI International and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, as well as leading companies, including Merck, Fareva, McKesson, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Boehringer Ingelheim have all chosen to locate in the Commonwealth.

To learn more about Virginia’s growing life science industry and why the private sector has invested more than $1.9 billion over the last decade, click here.

Virginia Biotechnology Association Interim Executive Director Jeff Gallagher (left) and BIO Vice President, Alliance Development and State Government Relations Fritz Bittenbender (right) present Delegate Landes with the State Legislator of the Year award.