The presence of NASA Langley Research Center, the oldest NASA center in the country, and the National Institute for Aerospace has made Hampton an excellent location for high-tech aerospace companies. Along with these world-renowned aerospace research centers, the city is home to the Virginia Tech Foundation’s Agricultural Research and Extension Center. This facility focuses on breakthrough research on seafood quality and safety for commercial and aquaculture industries throughout Virginia and the United States.

Hampton is also home to leaders in health care offering cutting-edge medical research and care solutions. Among these are Hampton University’s Proton Therapy Institute (the largest free-standing proton therapy institute in the world), the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Sentara Healthcare, and Riverside Health System.