TCC, Virginia Beach partner to attract biomedical businesses

Tidewater Community College’s Regional Health Professions Center is home to a Bio Accelerator, an initiative with the City of Virginia Beach to attract biomedical and science businesses to the city.

The city’s Department of Economic Development and the college signed a facility use agreement for the 1,500 square feet of offices that previously housed the medical office assistant program.

“This partnership fulfills the college’s mission of economic development and job creation in the city,” said Mike Summers, provost of TCC’s Virginia Beach Campus. “This relationship strengthens our partnership with the city and supports our commitment to workforce development.”

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms created a Bio Task Force in support of the initiative titled VaBeachBio, which is working to establish Virginia Beach as a destination for research and development for businesses in health care, biotechnology and pharmaceutical development. TCC President Edna Baehre-Kolovani is a member of the task force.

The space includes meeting rooms and lab spaces that will give bio companies a place to grow until they are ready to move into a more permanent location.