Fairfax County, Virginia — IDEMIA, a global leader in Augmented Identity^TM for an increasingly digital world, will relocate its North American Identity & Security headquarters from Billerica, Massachusetts, to Reston in Fairfax County, creating at least 90 new jobs.Governor Ralph Northam made the announcement today. Virginia successfully competed against Washington, D.C., and Maryland for this project.

IDEMIA, which already had Virginia operations with offices in Chantilly and Alexandria, will be moving its new headquarters to 18,000 square feet at One Freedom Square in Reston.

The result of a 2017 acquisition that united OT (Oberthur Technologies) with Safran Identity and Security (Morpho), IDEMIA develops, manufactures, and markets security technology products and services for the worldwide telecommunications, payments, and identity markets. As the global leader in Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust, and guarantees secure, authenticated, and verifiable transactions, IDEMIA services clients from the financial, telecom, identity, public and IoT sectors.

IDEMIA, which has been a trusted partner to U.S. government agencies for more than 50 years, is a leading innovator in biometric technology and solutions used by states and many federal agencies, including the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security. The company provides 80 percent of the US driver’s licenses and ID-issuance solutions to 37 of 50 U.S. states.

“We are excited to be relocating our headquarters to Reston in Fairfax County,” said Ed Casey, CEO, IDEMIA Identity & Security N.A. “Moving to Northern Virginia will enable both close proximity to our U.S. government customers and the ability to attract world-class talent. The new workspace will feature a technology center to demonstrate our leading digital security and identification technologies.”

Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), sees an ideal fit for IDEMIA in Fairfax County.

“IDEMIA is a perfect example of the kind of innovative companies that are finding Fairfax County to be the right location for their businesses,” Gordon said. “The county’s ever-growing technology ecosystem has the kind of assets these companies need to succeed in terms of workforce talent, potential customers, suppliers and partners, and a strong communication and transportation infrastructure.”

The FCEDA worked with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to secure the project for Virginia, and will support IDEMIA’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP). The state-funded VJIP provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs or experiencing technological change in order to support employee-training activities.

“The Commonwealth has become one of America’s premier corporate hometowns, and we are proud to see IDEMIA join a host of other industry-leading information technology companies that have located their headquarters in northern Virginia,” Northam said. “With access to Fairfax County’s unparalleled talent base and top-ranked higher education institutions, IDEMIA will be able recruit Virginians with the right skills and training, helping both the company and the Commonwealth grow this important sector.”

Time magazine called Fairfax County “one of the great economic success stories of our time.” Business growth and innovation help Fairfax County fund the nation’s top-rated school system and other public services that contribute to the quality of life of residents. Fairfax County offers businesses a state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure, access to global markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, a vibrant investment capital community and a highly skilled, well-educated workforce.

The award-winning Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA offers site location and business development assistance, and connections with county and state government agencies, to help companies locate and expand in Fairfax County. In addition to its headquarters in Tysons Corner, Fairfax County’s largest business district, the FCEDA maintains marketing offices in six important global business centers: Bangalore, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv. Follow the FCEDA on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.