New Brunswick, NJ, March 13, 2013 ― The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) has issued the following statement regarding the release today of a new report by the New Jersey Policy Research Organization (NJPRO) Foundation and Innovation NJ entitled Building Bridges II: Breaking Down Barriers — Perspectives from Academia and Industry on Building a New Jersey Innovation Ecosystem. HINJ is a co-founder of Innovation NJ.
The 24-page report is available on HINJ’s homepage or by clicking here as well as on Innovation New Jersey’s website.
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Innovation is the lifeblood of the biopharmaceutical and medical technology industry. More than 1,000 life sciences companies in New Jersey are constantly searching to discover and commercialize new medicines, therapies and technologies to cure disease and improve the quality of life for patients worldwide, and for more than 125 years, New Jersey has been at the forefront of this mission.
However, as Building Bridges II points out, to derive the economic benefits that come from an R&D economy, other states are leveraging the resources of their higher education systems to create research hubs to support industry. In combining the resources of industry, academia and government, these “innovation ecosystems” spur R&D, attract investment and drive economic growth.
As a major hub of life sciences R&D and possessing outstanding research capabilities in our higher-education system, New Jersey has all the elements of a world-class innovation ecosystem. We applaud Governor Christie and Lt. Governor Guadagno for their continued efforts to support New Jersey’s innovation economy and look forward to working with the Administration to affirm New Jersey’s position as a global innovation leader.
Founded in 1997, the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) serves as the voice for the state’s life sciences industry. HINJ seeks to expand patient access to the most innovative biopharmaceuticals and medical devices and promote awareness of the industry’s impact on New Jersey’s quality of life and economic well-being. In 2010, HINJ member companies’ economic impact in the state exceeded $24 billion, according to HINJ’s 2011 Economic Impact Report. To learn more, please visit HINJ at www.hinj.org or follow us via Twitter @ HINJ_ORG, Facebook @ HealthCareInstituteofNewJersey or YouTube @HINJNJ.