Choose New Jersey’s Second Successful Economic Mission Trip to Israel Delivers Partnerships, Strengthens New Jersey-Israel Connection

New Jersey business delegation returned to Israel to strengthen existing economic ties, cultivate further investment opportunities in New Jersey, deepen cultural symmetry between United States and Israel

“New Jersey and Israel continue to build upon an already rich, historic relationship,” said Jose Lozano, President & CEO, Choose New Jersey. “This trip delivered real results for both New Jersey and Israel, including jobs and partnerships that will improve business development and investment. Choose New Jersey was proud to lead this mission to help foster new relationships and strengthen our current ties. We look forward to seeing continued growth in our state and are excited to see these collaborations bear fruit.”

The business delegation included 16 of New Jersey’s government, business and academic leaders, including: New Jersey-Israel Commission, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, Hackensack Meridian Health, McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP, New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO), Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Princeton University, Rowan University and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

The New Jersey delegation held key meetings with government and industry leaders, including representatives from cybersecurity, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), technology, life sciences and health care industries. Delegation members also engaged with international startups, Israeli venture capitalists and forged partnerships with university counterparts.

Key moments of the mission trip include:

• Choose New Jersey Strengthens Partnership with Cross River Bank, Rowan University signs MoU with Jerusalem College of Technology – Cross River, together with Choose New Jersey, hosted a reception to celebrate the historic bridge between Jerusalem and the State of New Jersey. Cross River, headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with a support team in Jerusalem’s high-tech park, will continue to be the leader in bringing technology jobs to Jerusalem and beyond, and announced its commitment to hire 100 employees in Jerusalem by the end of 2020, further demonstrating the company’s rapid growth. In 2019, Cross River expanded to a 70,000-square-foot facility in Fort Lee and hired an additional 150 new employees. Rowan University also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Jerusalem College of Technology to share interests in joint research.

“The partnership between Cross River and New Jersey truly exemplifies the relationship between a state and its role in economic development, growth opportunities and job creation,” said Gilles Gade, founder, CEO and chairman of Cross River. “Cross River has thrived in its home state and has been building the historic bridge between New Jersey and Jerusalem. Thanks to the support of Governor Phil Murphy and Choose New Jersey, we can continue to solidify this bridge and create more jobs on both sides of the ocean.”

• Jewish National Fund Announced Winners of Summer 2020 Academic Fellowship Program – Representatives from the winning universities, NJIT, Rowan University and Rutgers University, along with Choose New Jersey, New Jersey-Israel Commission and Jewish National Fund (JNF), announced the 11 faculty members selected for the Summer 2020 Academic Fellowship program. The fellowship is open exclusively to full-time university professors who will be paired with Israeli counterparts in their field of study to encourage academic exchange.
• Choose New Jersey, New Jersey-Israel Commission and Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) Announced Bilateral Business Collaboration – At a ceremony in Jerusalem, the JDA and New Jersey-Israel Commission announced a partnership to promote collaboration between private sector companies, academic institutions, and related government agencies in New Jersey and Jerusalem through business development assistance, exchanges, and professional consultation.
• The New Jersey Delegation Makes Inroads at Life Sciences and Tech Events – The delegation participated in several innovation-focused events directly engaging Israeli companies on the state’s value proposition in healthcare and technology. At Sanara Ventures, the delegation conducted a roundtable discussion with Ohad Serok of Teva Pharmaceuticals, a global leader in biopharmaceuticals with dual headquarters in Israel and Parsippany, New Jersey. Delegation members also met with leadership from SOSA, a global innovation platform connecting corporations, governments and cities to innovative technologies and ecosystems in areas of cybersecurity and technology. SOSA startup residents and visiting startups from Spain and Australia, along with Israeli venture capitalists and medtech startups, were in attendance.

“The State of New Jersey serves as a vibrant ecosystem for innovation, development, and cultural diversity,” said Christopher Paladino, President, New Brunswick Development Corporation. “We have long considered Israel as one of New Jersey’s top business partners, and I look forward to building upon our strong relationships within the Israeli business community. I am optimistic this trip will yield promising investments in development for New Jersey as we continue to expand our innovation economy.”

“The profound value and incredible potential of the New Jersey – Israel relationship was on full display during this trip which captured the innovative spirit of both states’ communities and industries. We saw how our academic, industry, and government leaders can collaborate with their Israeli counterparts to share knowledge, generate business opportunities, and develop cutting edge technologies with global impact,” said Andrew Gross, Executive Director, New Jersey-Israel Commission, New Jersey Department of State. “This visit deepened the already significant relationship between the State of Israel and the State of New Jersey: a natural home for Israelis entering the United States.”

“It’s been gratifying travelling with our New Jersey higher ed colleagues and meeting with Israeli companies, said Coleen Burrus, Director, Corporate Engagement and Foundation Relations, Princeton University. “We’ve had beneficial conversations about the rich education and innovation environment of our state and explored possible research collaborations in support of Princeton’s mission to advance knowledge and discovery. It’s been a really productive trip.”

“Rowan University faculty is renowned for its diversity and global collaboration,” said Steven Weinstein, Executive Vice President for Policy and External Relationships/Partnerships, Rowan University. “These fellowships are a wonderful opportunity for our professors to deepen their understanding of Israeli challenges and insights, as well as to create new partnerships.”

“While these researchers are all leaders in their respective fields, a program like this one allows them to meet with their international peers, so they can collaborate on new ideas to solve today’s problems,” said Beena Sukumaran, Rowan University’s Vice President for Research.

“As a research university deeply-rooted in its mission to improve lives and communities in New Jersey and beyond, we are committed to building collaborative academic and research partnerships with like-minded institutions to strengthen our innovation ecosystem and spur economic growth,” said Dr. S. David Kimball, Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Rutgers University. “Through partnerships that we hope to forge with Tel Aviv University and Hadassah Hospital in New Jersey’s Sister State, we can create research opportunities today that will lead to the discoveries that will change the world tomorrow.”

To learn more about Choose New Jersey’s economic mission trip, you can view their activity on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram with the hashtag #NJIsraelMission.

About Choose New Jersey

Choose New Jersey is a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit economic development organization. Our mission is to stimulate job creation and attract capital investment to New Jersey. We market New Jersey both domestically and internationally as the best place to grow your business in the United States. Our knowledgeable, experienced staff, supported by a network of State agencies and private partners, provide free, confidential assistance to guide companies in establishing operations here. By harnessing the power of business, labor, academic and government leaders, we enable growth across all sectors of our State’s economy. We aspire to build a stronger and more prosperous New Jersey for all. For more information, visit www.choosenj.com.