
Here’s the biggest takeaway from the announcement last week that global corporate tech giants Microsoft and CoreWeave will join Princeton University as the founding partners in the state’s quickly established AI hub at the school.
It will not be the last big announcement around the AI hub — and won’t be the last announcement of a strategic innovation center in the state, something New Jersey now has more than a half dozen around the state.
So said Tim Sullivan, the CEO of the N.J. Economic Authority — and a key player not only in the effort at Princeton but strategic innovation centers involving FinTech (NJ FAST at Stevens), hard tech (HAX in Newark), venture (NJII in Newark), life sciences (HELIX in New Brunswick) and aerospace (National Aerospace Research & Technology Park in Egg Harbor Twp.).
“These centers are an enormous long-term investment in the state’s innovative capacity,” Sullivan said. “The governor is being true to his word about running through the tape. This announcement is a good example of it. And we’ve got several more in the pipeline that you’ll be hearing about in the coming weeks and months.”
Sullivan wouldn’t provide any insights on the next center, but he was more than willing to talk about how these centers — which come with a university and private sector partner — will have staying power long after Gov. Phil Murphy leaves office, he said.
Sullivan credits Kathleen Coviello, the chief economic transformation officer at the EDA, for leading so much of the charge on these centers — places he feels will be a legacy for the Murphy administration, something the next governor would have little reason to alter.
“The notion of big companies, startups, higher ed accelerator partners coming together around a theme — whether its aeronautics, life sciences, AI or anything else — is just good for the state,” he said.
“There’s zero ideology to them other than the ideology of thinking that innovation drives job creation, which is a bipartisan consensus kind of idea. It’s hard to imagine why the next governor would want to hit the reverse button on any of these.”
Sullivan said the AI Center at Princeton truly shows the potential impact.
“If you’re judged by the company you keep, Princeton, Microsoft and CoreWeave would be about as good a trio as you can imagine,” he said.
“This is a big deal for Jersey and a bigger opportunity for Jersey. These aren’t folks who are in the charity business. These are corporate giants. And to have their validation of the governor’s strategy speaks volumes to the governor’s strategy.”
Sullivan said this AI center starts with Princeton, particularly President Chris Eisgruber, Provost Jen Rexford and VP/Secretary Hillary Parker.
“I can’t say enough good things about those three,” Sullivan said. “Neither can the governor. They’re extraordinary partners.”
Those partners went to extraordinary lengths to not only make this happen — but make it happen quickly. Remember, it was only 13 months ago that Murphy announced his AI moonshot. Since then, Princeton held the first New Jersey AI Summit — and now has not only created a center for the AI hub, but it made sure that center is on the Princeton campus.
“To have Princeton engage this at the level is extraordinary,” Sullivan said. “I think if you look at the sweep of history, getting an institution of the caliber and the resources of Princeton to engage more deeply in the real economy is a game-changer.
“It sends an incredibly important signal of where the Jersey economy is going with their deeper engagement.”
Expect more companies — and perhaps more higher ed institutions — to join the efforts at Princeton.
And expect more announcements, Sullivan said.
“When Gov. Murphy started on this journey, thinking about tying higher ed to the real economy and talking about deepening the connections between economic development and higher ed, this is what he had in mind,” —he said. “And he’s not done yet.”