WHEREAS, New Jersey's historic legacy of innovation and invention has
resulted in an economy that is currently leading the nation out of recession
and has contributed to its national reputation as the home of numerous
advanced technology industries; and
WHEREAS, New Jersey must continue to meet the challenges and opportunities
of the global marketplace by fostering the creation of high-quality jobs
that will sustain a knowledge-based economy that thrives on innovation
and entrepreneurship in order to bring advanced technologies to market;
and
WHEREAS, New Jersey should capitalize on its competitive advantage through
economic development initiatives that support the State's world-class
academic research universities and science and technology industries;
and
WHEREAS, relationships between industrial and academic research in the
State must be strengthened to sustain New Jersey's economy and to propel
it to an even higher level of performance; and
WHEREAS, the State of New Jersey and the New Jersey Economic Development
Authority (hereinafter referred to as the EDA or the Authority) has supported
research and development efforts of technology companies by developing
financial assistance programs and laboratory space in commercialization
centers underway in Newark, Camden, North/New Brunswick; and
WHEREAS, the EDA has the ability to acquire land and develop shared
infrastructure that is specialized to the focus needs of later stage businesses
such as pilot scale production centers; and
WHEREAS, the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology's (hereinafter
referred to as the Commission) mission is to promote further development
of the State's academic research capabilities in fields of strategic importance
to New Jersey's technology industry, to enhance the transfer of technology
from the academic research environment to commercialization in the marketplace,
and to encourage entrepreneurism and the establishment of new enterprises
in science and new technology fields; and
WHEREAS, the New Jersey Life Sciences Cluster Initiative commissioned
by Prosperity New Jersey, and conducted by Professor Michael E. Porter,
to assess the current competitive position of New Jersey's life sciences
clusters recommends that clusters will be enhanced by increased interaction
by cluster participants in a concentrated geographic location; and
WHEREAS, in my 2004 State of the State Address, I proposed the creation
of three Innovation Zones that will stimulate industry clusters around
our public research universities; and
WHEREAS, the goal of the Innovation Zones is to attract high-technology
businesses and research scientists to these defined areas, where proximity
to universities and research hospitals will increase collaborative research
effort between the academic communities and New Jersey's technology industry,
resulting in business and job growth; and
WHEREAS, these Innovation Zones will serve to spur partnerships between
our universities and our industries, and will encourage the more rapid
transfer of discoveries from our laboratories to the marketplace; and
WHEREAS, the creation of the Innovation Zones will require the focusing
of resources on geographic areas where research clusters presently exist,
or have the potential to form because of the location of universities
and/or research hospitals; and
WHEREAS, these geographic areas will also be made more attractive to
businesses, entrepreneurs and researchers by the availability of alternative
housing opportunities, access to public transportation and workforce development
initiatives that provide customized training for all level of employees;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JAMES E. McGREEVEY, Governor of the State of New
Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
- There are hereby created three Innovation Zones surrounding New
Jersey's research universities, to be located in the City of Newark,
the City of Camden, and the North Brunswick/New Brunswick area.
- The Chief Executive Officer of the Authority shall recommend the
precise geographic boundaries of the Innovative Zones to the EDA Board,
which shall give its final approval to the geographic boundaries.
- The EDA shall modify its existing programs to give bonuses or other
enhanced incentives to businesses that locate in Innovation Zones.
Programs to be utilized in this regard shall include BEIP, Seed Capital
and Technology Funding programs, Springboard Fund, Technology Tax
Certificate Transfer program and the new Garden State Life Sciences
Venture Fund.
- The Commission shall modify its programs to promote and support
networks and collaboration between the local technology industry and
university researchers in the Innovation Zones, to increase federal
funding to universities in areas of strategic importance to New Jersey's
technology industry, to promote the transfer of technology and commercialization
of new ideas in the Innovation Zones, and to further develop support
for technology companies in the Innovation Zones by means including,
but not limited to, incubation and grant writing assistance.
- The EDA and the Commission shall work cooperatively with other
State departments, agencies and authorities to explore and implement
opportunities to direct resources to the Innovation Zones that may
provide technology, financial and workforce development opportunities,
infrastructure and housing. With the assistance of these partners,
the EDA and Commission may recommend potential future Innovation Zones
to enhance cluster-based economic development strategies anchored
by public higher education research universities.
- The EDA and the Commission are authorized to call upon any department,
office or agency of State Government to provide such information,
resources or other assistance deemed necessary to discharge its responsibilities
under this Order. This will include, but not be limited to, the Department
of Treasury for assistance with the BEIP, Technology Tax Certificate
Transfer program, and other programs; the Department of Labor and
Workforce Development for assistance in developing workforce development
strategies; the Departments of Transportation and NJ Transit for assistance
in enhancing public transportation networks and infrastructure; the
New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission to assist in business
attraction efforts and the coordination of Urban Enterprise Zone programs;
the Department of Community Affairs for assistance in expanding housing
opportunities and advising on smart growth development strategies;
and the Commission on Higher Education to facilitate and promote partnerships
and programs to address workforce needs and enhance research and development.
Each department, office, division and agency of this State is hereby
required to cooperate with the Authority and to furnish it with such
information, personnel and assistance as is necessary to accomplish
the purposes of this Order.
- An Advisory Committee consisting of local technology business leaders
and representatives from the research community will be created in
each Innovation Zone by the Authority and will meet quarterly to advise
the EDA and the Commission with respect to the functioning of the
Innovation Zones and the needs of the local technology industry.
- This Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 8th day
of September in the Year of Our Lord, Two
Thousand and Four, and of the Independence of
the United States, the Two Hundred and Twenty-Ninth.
/s/ James E. McGreevey
Governor
[seal]
Attest:
/s/ Mark J. Fleming
Deputy Chief Counsel to the Governor