Trenton, NJ, June 24, 2015 ― Highlighting New Jersey’s leadership as a home for innovation and as the “Medicine Chest of the World,” Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno yesterday addressed the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s (NJPAC) Business Partners “Life Sciences and New Jersey’s Innovation Ecosystem” Roundtable, presented in association with the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ)
Following the Lt. Governor’s opening address, HINJ President and Chief Executive Officer Dean Paranicas moderated a panel that featured:
- Vincent A. Forlenza, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President, BD (Becton, Dickinson & Company
- Brenton L. Saunders, CEO and President, Allergan plc
- Christopher J. Molloy, Ph.D, R.Ph., Senior Vice President, Research and Economic Development, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lt. Governor Guadagno told NJPAC attendees, “New Jersey truly provides one-stop shopping for your R&D needs. We have built a vibrant innovation community — from Angel Investors to incubators, from Fortune 500 companies to research institutions — that works in supportive collaboration to drive growth and discovery in our state.”
“This ‘innovation ecosystem’ uniquely positions New Jersey to strengthen its domestic and global biotech market share in the coming years,” Lt. Governor Guadagno said.
Over the last six years, the Administration has focused on creating an innovation ecosystem in New Jersey where state government, universities, organizations and businesses can work together for shared success.
For example, the Lt. Governor added the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to the Partnership for Action to ensure that New Jersey’s students and workforce are highly educated and prepared for the 21st-century jobs of the future.
In March, the Lt. Governor kicked off the Million Women Mentors program in New Jersey to connect young women pursuing STEM education and careers with mentors to help them achieve their goals.
HINJ’s Paranicas said, “The Lt. Governor has been a tireless advocate for the greater New Jersey business community. She is a strong, active ally to the state’s innovation-driven life sciences industry, as most recently reflected by her efforts to promote the state to life sciences companies at last week’s BIO 2015 International Convention in Philadelphia.”
“We appreciate the Lt. Governor’s asserting the Christie Administration’s continued commitment to New Jersey’s life sciences community at this morning’s event,” Paranicas added.
The previous week, Lt. Governor Guadagno led the largest-ever New Jersey delegation at BIO International 2015 in Philadelphia and welcomed a record number of attendees to the Choose New Jersey Prospect Dinner.
New Jersey is a leader in the life sciences industry, with the world’s highest concentration of scientists and engineers per square mile and operations of 14 of the 20 largest biopharmaceutical companies.
Overall, the state is home to more than 3,100 life science and biopharmaceutical establishments, 63 colleges and universities, 4 medical schools and 13 teaching hospitals.
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey — where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day.
NJPAC began hosting a series of Roundtables in 2006 as a resource for participants of its Business Partners program, whose members represent more than 90 multinational corporations and privately-held businesses in New York and New Jersey. The Roundtables bring together corporate supporters of NJPAC approximately six times a year for an opportunity to network, share ideas and hear from guest speakers from both the private and public sectors on issues facing the business community.
To view event photos in HINJ’s Facebook photo album, click here.