Business Community

Fairfax County is home to about 5,000 technology firms, ranging from high-profile, publicly held companies to entrepreneurial start-ups.

Knowledge-based enterprises directly employ nearly 135,000 people in Fairfax County. Some of the world's leading technology firms are headquartered here, and scores of companies in other technology regions are branching into Fairfax County to compete in the dynamic marketplace.

Technology has been the driving force behind Fairfax County's economic expansion for the past two decades. During this period, the county diversified from its traditional government market base to include principal New Economy sectors such as Internet services, information technology and network communications. The county also has a strong base of defense, environmental engineering, energy, satellite and biotechnology clusters.

A list of selected technology companies in Fairfax County is available to download.

Fairfax County's major business sectors include:

Aerospace

Aerospace is a growing industry in Fairfax County. Historically, considerable overlap has existed among the aerospace, telecommunications, computer services and transportation industries. Many instruments and systems that were once used solely by the aerospace industry are now being employed in many different and innovative ways in these and other industries.

Aerospace companies in Fairfax County include AgustaWestland, Airbus North America, BAE Systems, Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Systems.

Biotechnology/Biomedical 

As part of one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S., biotech and biomedical firms are involved in the innovative development of technology-based products or services in order to improve human health, the environment or agricultural processes. Examples include telemedicine, industrial enzyme production, bioremediation and biosensors. A burgeoning sector in the county is bioinformatics, which uses computers to organize and analyze biological data. For more information on bioscience in Fairfax County, read the Life Sciences Resources fact sheet (.pdf).

Examples of biotech/bioinformatics firms in Fairfax County are Ascend Therapeutics, Bode Technology, Covance, Focus Technologies, Quest Diagnostics and Quintiles.

Energy/Environmental Services

While small in number, Fairfax County energy firms are well placed in the industry. Perhaps the most well known—Mobil Corporation—chose to locate in Fairfax County more than 30 years ago. Now known as Exxon Mobil Corporation, the company retains a regional headquarters in Merrifield.

Companies in the environmental industry work to restore, protect and improve the environment and quality of life. Some environmental firms in Fairfax County include CH2M Hill, ICF Consulting, and Kemron Environmental Services.

Engineering/R&D

Engineering and R&D firms cover a wide range of disciplines including construction and infrastructure support, environmental and geotechnical engineering as well as product testing and other specialty engineering. Engineering/R&D firms in Fairfax County include Dewberry, Engineering Consulting Services, Parsons Brinckerhoff and VSE Corporation.

Enterprise Software

Enterprise software is specifically designed software to simplify or automate business processes for large organizations or specific industries. Leading enterprise software firms in Fairfax County include Datatel, QuadraMed, Oracle and webMethods.

Homeland Security

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Homeland Security took on a new importance in the United States. Many existing Fairfax County technology companies began to re-focus on defense, first response and secure border-related work for the federal government. Some of the largest firms in Fairfax County working on homeland security include Anteon, BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, and SAIC.

Internet

Fairfax County is the home of the Internet. ArpaNet, the original Internet project, was started by military and government agencies in Washington, D.C., in the 1960s. Many Internet-related firms were developed by those who worked on the ArpaNet project and its descendants. Several "pioneers" of the Internet were founded in Fairfax County, including America Online, Network Solutions and UUNET. Prominent Internet companies in Fairfax County are CareerBuilder.com, Road Runner Group and VeriSign, to name a few.

Systems Integration

Systems integration is by far the largest technology industry in Fairfax County with nearly 1,460 firms. Included in the category are companies that work in software and programming, computer and data services and IT equipment. A few of the notable firms in Fairfax County include CGI-AMS, Comprehensive Technologies International, Computer Sciences Corporation, EDS, L-3 Communications, ManTech International, NCI Information Systems, and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

Telecommunications

Fairfax County is home to one of the largest concentration of telecommunications firms in the nation, thanks to its number of wireless, satellite and high-speed access lines. The federal government's decision to deregulate the telecommunications industry opened up an extraordinary range of new competitive market opportunities, leading to a new commercial technology cluster. Telecommunications firms in Fairfax County include Dimension Data, SAVVIS Communications, Sprint, Tier Technologies,and Verizon.

Technology Consulting

Technology consulting firms work with both public and private clients to enhance organizational performance and conduct studies and analysis. Firms in Fairfax County include Accenture, BearingPoint, Booz Allen Hamilton, LMI and The MITRE Corporation.