the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Midland Park NJ, Legislation (A3652/S2329) sponsored by Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips establishing a state commission on science, innovation and technology is now law.
DePhillips said the new law will help make New Jersey one of the most innovative states in the country in science and technology. New Jersey is currently a global leader in biotechnology, especially pharmaceuticals, but other states have been ramping up their efforts to get the industry to come to them.
“I am pleased to have this bi-partisan legislation become law,” said DePhillips (R-Bergen). “The commission will help promote the life sciences industry in New Jersey without any additional cost to taxpayers.”
The 17-member commission will promote research and entrepreneurship in science and technology. Members will appoint an innovation council to focus on stimulating technology transfers between public and private research universities and industry.
“Our state has the potential to become the nation’s pre-eminent leader in pharma, biotechnology and medical devices and the goal of this commission will be to help market and brand our state as such,” continued DePhillips. “We need to do all that we can to help private enterprise grow the economy and create jobs for our residents.”
The U.S. will spend an estimated $553 billion on research and development in 2018, more than any other country in the world and over a quarter of the worldwide total. New Jersey is ranked the eleventh most innovative state in the nation, according to a recent study by WalletHub. Neighboring states Delaware ranked ninth; Connecticut thirteenth; New Yok twenty-second, and Pennsylvania twenty-sixth.
DePhillips noted that Massachusetts and California have similar state-level councils that help foster and attract science, innovation and technology related businesses. Both states consistently lead the country in those respective fields with Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., and Silicon Valley in Santa Clara County, Calif.
On Wednesday Gov. Phil Murphy at a press announcement at the North Brunswick Biotechnology Development Center, Murphy signed a law reinstating the Commission on Science Innovation and Technology, and announced his administration is rolling out the ResearchwithNJ.com public research database.
Wanna foster innovation and get companies to come here? Cut taxes. You don’t need yet another commission to figure that out