The Roanoke City Council has accepted a $1 million U.S. Small Business Administration grant to purchase advanced laboratory equipment for RoVa Labs, a biotechnology startup incubator that combines biomedical research facilities with business development support. Since opening in May 2026, RoVa Labs has grown to house nine research tenants, and officials say the new funding will be used to purchase equipment that attracts even more biotechnology entrepreneurs.
“The health and life sciences industries are poised for significant growth in Roanoke,” said City Manager Valmarie Turner. “RoVa Labs is a launchpad for turning new discoveries into thriving businesses. We’re creating a life sciences ecosystem that will create jobs, attract investors, and help improve quality of life for everyone in our city.”
Anchoring the Roanoke Innovation Corridor
Located on South Jefferson Street, RoVa Labs links downtown Roanoke with a growing cluster of health and life sciences centers in the Roanoke Innovation Corridor. These include the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Carilion Clinic’s Center for Simulation, Research, and Patient Safety, and Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
“This award serves as another foundational building block for the establishment of RoVa Labs. It’s very rewarding to see our hard work and the work of our partners gaining recognition and bringing investment to our city,” said Marc Nelson, Roanoke’s Director of Economic Development.
Built Through Regional Partnership
RoVa Labs is part of a broader regional strategy to position Roanoke as a hub for biotechnology, life sciences, healthcare innovation, and research commercialization. The facility was created in partnership with Carilion Clinic, the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance, Virginia Western Community College, and the Virginia Tech Foundation.
Carilion Clinic was also recently recognized among Virginia’s Top Employers for Interns through the state’s InternshipsVA program, which BioBuzz covered in its roundup of the life sciences and healthcare honorees.
The project builds on earlier investment. In 2023, the City of Roanoke received $15.7 million from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to create shared lab space in a building Carilion contributed as matching local funding. The city facilitated and managed the project and contributed a $1.9 million match through American Rescue Plan Act funds.
