Copyright Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
Hampton Roads has a lot going for it. The region has a solid foundation in defense, energy, aerospace and logistics, and now, there is a call to action to deepen and accelerate growth in these sectors through strategic projects that bolster workforce, innovation, infrastructure and supply chain. “Growth in these sectors will also ripple outward, strengthening every corner of our economy, from construction and architecture to finance, insurance, higher education, retail, tourism and healthcare,” Hampton Roads Alliance President and CEO Doug Smith said in the organization’s latest plan. The Hampton Roads Alliance, charged with attracting companies and investment to the region, unveiled its regional economic development playbook — a first-of-its-kind blueprint — during a summit Wednesday. Smith referred to the playbook as a “living framework” for supporting the regional economy. “As you’re thinking about this playbook in the future, I’d encourage you if you think there’s a hole — and yeah, there are holes — and challenge you to fill them,” he said. Overall, Smith said some amazing opportunities lie ahead. “We’re going to talk a lot about what we’re going to do to move Hampton Roads up the value chain,” he said. The three-hour event at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts brought in more than 700 stakeholders eager and ready to hear about the game plan. But amid the ongoing government shutdown, the lineup of panelists was affected. Trina Dyal, acting director of NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, was replaced by Yiannis Papelis, research professor at Old Dominion University. Papelis, also the executive director of the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center, said he feels the biggest need is branding — finding a term that clearly depicts Hampton Roads as a leader in its core strengths. “My hope is that we will continue providing the foundation doing all of what’s necessary, but we will have this organic creation of this concept that will uniquely identify us as who we already know we are,” Papelis said. Retired Rear Adm. Chip Rock, a former commander of the Navy’s Mid-Atlantic region, said while he admits he’s biased about the region, he thinks there is a winning mix here that nobody can compete with. Oliver Coppard, mayor of South Yorkshire, England, reinforced the idea behind working toward purpose and prosperity. Coppard had partnered with the Hampton Roads Alliance in June 2024 to promote knowledge exchange and collaborative economic initiatives. Bill Murray, Dominion Energy’s senior vice president corporate affairs and communication, said it is vital that human potential is not wasted. “We’ve got great colleges, great higher education institutions, great K-12 schools, but really just double down on not wasting any child’s potential because we need everybody,” Murray said. It seems people aren’t fully aware of all that the region has to offer, Port of Virginia CEO Stephen Edwards said. “I think we can get the momentum of a snowball rolling downhill.” In the next five to 10 years, Edwards said he hopes every site selector and business eyeing the region’s core sectors will put Hampton Roads in the top three places as a must go and see. “And that we market the heck out of that and get everybody across the nation to come and look at us,” he said. View the alliance’s playbook at hamptonroadsplaybook.com.
