Roadmap uncovers Virginia’s areas of strength and priority and establishes technology sectors eligible to receive CRCF funding

The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) , in close collaboration with the Secretariats of Technology, Education, and Commerce and Trade; members of the legislature; Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP); the ten regional technology councils; colleges and universities; federal labs and research institutes; and Chmura Economics & Analytics,  has released the Commonwealth Research and Technology (R&T) Strategic Roadmap.

The R&T Roadmap establishes priorities for industry and research areas worthy of economic development and institutional focus. It offers a framework for aligning key industry sectors within the state, as prioritized by the private sector, academia, and the broader research community. The Roadmap provides elected and other officials with information on technology sectors that show the highest commercial promise and opportunities for economic growth in Virginia.

Opportunities outlined in the Roadmap are the product of a rigorous and iterative assessment process that included examination of Virginia’s industry and research strengths by multiple technology community stakeholders from multiple perspectives. These strengths were compared to national and global initiatives and priorities to ensure relevance and direct market applicability.

The R&T Roadmap also identifies key industry subsectors and applied research that will be eligible for funding through the newly created Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF). The CRCF was allocated $6 million for FY2012; a fall solicitation will be released on October 4th, and a second round will be issued early in CY2012. Awards from the Fund may only be made to applications that further the goals and industry opportunities set forth in the Roadmap. These opportunities include:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Aerospace
• Communications
• Energy
• Environment
• Information Technology
• Life Sciences
• Modeling & Simulation
• Nuclear Physics
• Transportation

Facilitated by CIT and developed by Virginia’s technology community, the Roadmap was made possible by input from a breadth of Commonwealth resources, including senior executives from industry, academia, federal laboratories, other research organizations, and economic development organizations.

“The Commonwealth Research and Technology Roadmap is the first statewide community, university, and industry technology planning tool developed by stakeholders for the purpose of planning, investing, and communicating the future of technology development,” said CIT President and CEO Pete Jobse. “This planning process will enable more efficient resource utilization and maximize public and private return on investment. Virginia is the first state to undertake and succeed at developing an integrated grassroots technology planning process. CIT is proud to have powered this significant accomplishment.”

To learn more about the Roadmap, please visit www.cit.org/programs/cit-rd/roadmap. To learn more about CRCF and to apply for a fall 2011 award, visit www.cit.org/programs/cit-rd/crcf.