We’ve spent a lot of time talking about AI models, data centers, and the billions being invested in computing infrastructure. All important. But I think we’re overlooking something. Some of the greatest AI opportunities are in industries that have been around for generations.
Manufacturing. Energy. Mining. Transportation. Healthcare.
I’ve seen firsthand how much valuable operational data these industries generate, and how difficult it can be to turn that information into better decisions. AI is changing what’s possible.
Consider four recent developments:
1. Advanced Manufacturing. Virginia Tech and its regional partners recently announced a $24.8 million federal award to advance additive manufacturing and advanced materials, building on an earlier $4.2 million GO Virginia investment. This is about connecting university research, manufacturers, and workforce development.
2. Life Sciences. GO Virginia’s Project VITAL is bringing together research institutions, entrepreneurs, and investors to help turn life-sciences discoveries into new products and businesses.
3. Computing Infrastructure. Google’s planned data center campus in Botetourt County represents another major investment in the region’s technology infrastructure and future tax base.
4. Private Investment. At the Berry Hill Megasite in Pittsylvania County, STACK Infrastructure is pursuing a data center development with potential investment reaching $100 billion over several decades.
These are different projects, with different purposes, timelines, and challenges.
But look at them collectively. Advanced manufacturing. Biomedical research. Computing infrastructure. Entrepreneurship. Private capital. Workforce development.
The ingredients of a significant innovation economy are taking shape.
Of course, announcing investments isn’t the same as delivering results. Major infrastructure projects must address their energy, water, and community impacts. Research initiatives must produce commercial outcomes. Workforce programs must prepare people for actual jobs.
And there is still considerable work to do connecting these efforts.
What if we deliberately connected these investments rather than evaluating each in isolation?
What if manufacturers had better access to AI expertise and university research?
What if life-sciences entrepreneurs could more easily access computing resources, technical talent, and investment capital?
It succeeds when the right people, technologies, institutions, and capital come together around a common purpose.
My question is this: Are we doing enough to connect these investments into a larger economic strategy, or are we still treating them as individual projects?
#ArtificialIntelligence #AdvancedManufacturing #Virginia #EconomicDevelopment #Innovation#BRIC #RBIA #RBTC #GoVirginia #VirginiaTech
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