STRENGTHS DEFINED. STRATEGIES ALIGNED.
This Playbook was created to align Hampton Roads’ strengths with global opportunities. It identifies the industries where our region has clear competitive advantages, outlines transformative projects that can unlock growth, and provides a framework for future initiatives.
The goal is straightforward: position Hampton Roads as a national and global leader in innovation, production, and resilience by focusing on what we do better than anywhere else.
To bring the Playbook to life, the Alliance and its partners are advancing eight flagship projects— each directly aligned with DEAL – Defense, Energy, Aerospace, and Logistics – sectors and cross-cutting drivers.
AUKUS Center of Excellence
A series of subnational hubs in Hampton Roads (located at William & Mary’s Whole of Government Center of Excellence), South Yorkshire, and Adelaide that collaborate on submarine industrial base innovation.
Secure Energy Future Center (SEFC)
An innovation hub for next-generation energy solutions, leveraging the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center to solve complex problems and enable strategic regional growth.
NEXUS: National Excellence in Uncrewed Systems
An innovation hub to accelerate autonomous systems across domains—air, land, sea, and space—through testing, commercialization, workforce training, and industry engagement.
Hampton Roads Maritime Training System (HRMTS)
Led by the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, HRMTS is focused on developing a qualified workforce for the Hampton Roads maritime industry.
Defense Efficiency & Production Center
A public-private center to address key challenges facing the U.S. maritime industrial base – such as production delays, workforce shortages, and a shrinking supplier network.
Elizabeth River Eastern Branch Dredging
Led by the Virginia Maritime Association, this project focuses on dredging the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River to ensure maritime readiness.
757 Collab Defense Technology Accelerator
In partnership with NavalX Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge, the Defense Technology Accelerator (DTA) propels early-stage companies to schale breakthrough technologies for the Navy and Marine Corps.
Hampton Roads Ambassador Corps
A council of retired executives (CORE) including former high-ranking military officials, leveraging their networks through coordinated outreach, trade missions, and peer engagement to benefit regional growth efforts.
A project cannot be successful without a defined mission, capital source, and team. While each project lead will select their team, they will join an overarching steering committee to review progress and evaluate future projects.
That committee will include:
Co-Chairs
Doug Smith
Hampton Roads Alliance
Shawn Avery
Hampton Roads Workforce Council
Regional Organizations Presidents Council (ROPC) Co-Chairs
Bryan Stephens
Bob McKenna
Leaders from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)
Leaders from each of the 8 projects.
Kathryn H. Floyd, Director, Whole of Government Center of Excellence, William & Mary
Chelsea Olivieri, Managing Director, VTCRC @ Tech Center Research Park
Nancy Grden, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable
Shawn Avery, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Workforce Council
Douglas L. Smith, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Alliance
David White, Executive Director, Virginia Maritime Association
Paul Nolde, President & CEO, 757 Collab
Rear Admiral (ret.) Charles “Chip” Rock, Hampton Roads Alliance