It started with Amazon’s announcement of HQ2 in Northern Virginia. Virginia Tech announced it would build a $1 billion innovation campus next door, then the University of Virginia and George Mason University announced investments in computer science schools.

At this point, universities across the region are joining the race to train the next generation of computer scientists.

Some of those investments come in the form of partnerships. Students with the Virginia CubeSat Constellation project are launching three nano-satellites into orbit through a project that connects Virginia universities with NASA programs and funding. Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech and UVA teams each built a satellite, and Hampton University’s team will analyze the data sent back.

Virginia Tech followed the announcement of Amazon’s new Northern Virginia offices with a $1 billion investment of its own, just a couple miles down the road. The university is building a 1 million-square-foot, technology-focused campus in Alexandria as part of a higher-education package for attracting HQ2.

The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, which will host several graduate programs, will rise in the newly branded National Landing neighborhood that encompasses parts of Pentagon City and Crystal City in Arlington and Potomac Yard in Alexandria. Graduate degree programs and research opportunities will focus on computer science and software engineering, with specializations in areas including data science, analytics, security, IoT and technology policy. It will include a mix of academic, research and innovation space, as well as areas for housing and industry partners.

Virginia Tech expects to have 500 master’s degree students within five years. The university and the state both committed to provide $250 million to seed the project.

To read more about the schools and their initiatives, check out the whole article below.

How These Universities are Building D.C.’s Tech Talent Pipeline Ahead of Amazon HQ2