Governor Northam Announces IDEMIA Identity & Security to Relocate Headquarters to Fairfax County

Company to create more than 90 new jobs

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented IdentityTM for an increasingly digital world, will relocate its North American Identity & Security headquarters from Billerica, Massachusetts to Reston, Virginia in Fairfax County. Virginia successfully competed with Washington, D.C. and Maryland for this project, which will create more than 90 new jobs.

“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,” said Governor Northam. “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.”

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

IDEMIA, which has been a trusted partner to government agencies in the U.S. for more than 50 years, is a leading innovator in biometric technology and solutions that are used by states and many federal agencies, including the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security. The company provides 80 percent of U.S. driver’s licenses and ID issuance solutions to 37 states across the country. IDEMIA’s existing Virginia operations include offices in Alexandria and Chantilly.

“Information technology is evolving rapidly, and we rely on innovative companies like IDEMIA to maintain Virginia’s position as a U.S. leader in this industry,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “We are thrilled to welcome IDEMIA to the Commonwealth and look forward to seeing the company thrive in Fairfax County.”

“We are excited to be relocating our headquarters to Reston in Fairfax County,” said Ed Casey, Chief Executive Officer of 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.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Fairfax County to secure the project for Virginia and will support IDEMIA’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP). VJIP provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs or experiencing technological change in order to support employee training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state-funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.

“IDEMIA is a perfect example of the kind of innovative companies that are finding Fairfax County to be the right location for their businesses,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “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.”

“I applaud IDEMIA’s decision to move its North American Identity & Security headquarters to Fairfax County,”said Senator Janet Howell. “Northern Virginia is a top location for technology and security investment. This move will enable IDEMIA to tap into our highly-skilled workforce while creating more job opportunities in our area.”

“I am pleased that IDEMIA has chosen Fairfax County as their new site, bringing new jobs and further strengthening our identity as a vital location for tech companies,” said Delegate Kenneth Plum.