Governor’s budget would shift life‑sciences research funds into year one and add $35 million for infrastructure and training

At a Senate Finance and Appropriations subcommittee meeting, Joe Benevento, president and CEO of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), told members the governor’s introduced budget would shift previously authorized life‑sciences research funds from the second fiscal year into the first fiscal year and would add $35 million in new, one‑time funding for workforce training and infrastructure in regions across the Commonwealth.

Benevento said the shift does not increase the original $90 million appropriation enacted earlier by the General Assembly but accelerates year‑two funding into year one; he described the $35 million as “incremental new funding” that targets scale‑up facilities and workforce programs needed to retain commercialization and production locally. “The proposed amendment brings forward and shifts the year 2 funding…into year 1,” Benevento said. “This is one‑time funding.”

The change matters, VIPC staff and subcommittee members said, because life‑sciences startups often require specialized lab space, equipment and hands‑on training. Benevento cited planned allocations included in the governor’s proposal: $12.5 million to Virginia State University to build an advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing training…