To kick-off the three-day 2009 Modeling & Simulation World Expo in Virginia Beach this week, Senator Warner hosted a "Virginia Summit on Modeling & Simulation."  The conference, held yesterday, was organized to promote Hampton Roads' growing role in the high-tech modeling & simulation field.

Modeling and simulation, commonly referred to as "mod/sim," covers everything from "virtual" medicine to urban evacuation planning, Pentagon war games and the next-generation computer and video games your kids spend so much time playing.

The Virginian-Pilot summarized Senator Warner's goal:

Warner's goal for the region is to progress beyond simulations of battlefield combat and hurricane escape routes. He wants to upgrade to medical surgery simulations and create more programs to attract young people to the field. ...

"I cringe when I hear about Orlando or any other areas doing something new with modeling and simulation," Warner said to the crowd of about 500 attendees. "We should be the world capital of this industry."

The conference brought together leaders and experts in modeling and simulation, including President Obama's Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, who got his start in Virginia, and General James Mattis, Commander of the U.S Joint Forces Command.  

Senator Warner has spent years promoting modeling and simulation as a job creator. Modeling and simulation has already created more than 5,000 jobs in Hampton Roads, with starting salaries of $80,000. The industry pumps more than $640 million into Virginia's economy. Per the Daily Press:

A former telecommunications executive, Warner aggressively promoted modeling and simulation as Virginia's governor from 2002 to 2006. His efforts largely centered on the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center, a consortium of academia, government and industry leaders based in Suffolk. ...

The federal government can play a role, he said, by providing tax incentives, and working with state and regional partners to brand Hampton Roads as leader in modeling and simulation.

"I think this industry has really been below the radar," he said. "There's still a lot of marketing to do."

You can watch Senator Warner's opening remarks from the conference below. To check out the entire conference -- including three panel discussions on the applications of modeling and simulation in defense, education, and health care -- visit our mod/sim page at warner.senate.gov/modsim.