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Blue Sky Innovators plans to invest $7 million in a major Fairfax County expansion that will create 175 jobs and establish a secure defense technology laboratory in Reston.
The dual-use technology company will build approximately 20,000 square feet of innovation and laboratory space above its existing office at 12120 Sunset Hills Road. The expanded facility will house SkyLab, a secure environment designed for advanced research, rapid prototyping and mission integration.
CEO Tim Tkacz said the project reflects the company’s belief that speed, security and collaboration must work together to address national security challenges.
SkyLab will allow new technologies to be brought into operations more quickly while supporting secure work with government customers. It will also give commercial companies and startups a place to integrate technologies involving quantum computing, cybersecurity, space, artificial intelligence, data and other emerging defense fields.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay said the project will connect innovators and mission partners across Fairfax County and Northern Virginia while strengthening the region’s economic competitiveness and national readiness.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said Reston and the Dulles Corridor have long attracted forward-looking companies. He pointed to Blue Sky’s work in cyber, AI, space and defense operations as an example of the innovation driving the region.
Blue Sky has employees in five states and says demand is growing for technologies that connect commercial innovation with operational missions. Its work for the U.S. Department of War and the intelligence community includes prototyping, research and development, disruptive technologies, electromagnetic spectrum operations, integration and acquisition.
Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, described SkyLab as a platform for moving emerging technologies from concepts into usable capabilities. He said Fairfax County’s secure digital infrastructure, federal connections, research partnerships and skilled workforce make it well suited for that work.
The economic development authority partnered with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to secure the expansion for Fairfax County. Gov. Abigail Spanberger approved an $840,000 Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund grant to assist the county with the project.
Blue Sky will also receive employee-training support through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.
Spanberger said the SkyLab investment demonstrates Virginia’s ability to support growth in the defense technology industry through access to skilled workers and federal decision-makers.