State of New Jersey
Executive Order #128

Governor James E. McGreevey

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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