Murphy begins five-day economic mission trip to UK Thursday

Gov. Phil Murphy and a delegation of government, business and academic leaders began a five-day trip in the United Kingdom Thursday — an effort aimed at increasing the state’s connection to the UK in numerous key areas to New Jersey, including AI, life sciences, technology and health care.

Murphy will begin the trip by being a keynote presenter at the Financial Times-led Future of AI Summit in London, where he will do a fireside chat with Financial Times news editor Murad Ahmed in front of hundreds of key industry leaders.

The governor and the delegation will spend three days in London before heading to Cambridge on Sunday and Monday and returning home on Tuesday. The trip is being organized and led by Choose New Jersey.

The economic mission is expected to bring a few numerous announcements or memos of understanding with government and business organizations, but it is more intended to strengthen the traditional connections between the UK and New Jersey — while looking to build those in areas such as AI and renewable energy.

New Jersey officials feel London is a global powerhouse in fintech, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence — one with both a dynamic ecosystem of startups and established enterprises. The officials feel this expertise aligns closely with New Jersey’s expanding tech sector, which benefits from proximity to New York’s financial markets and a supportive innovation landscape.

The hope, of course, is to have that happen in New Jersey.

Throughout the trip, Murphy and officials from Choose New Jersey and the N.J. Economic Development Authority will continually pitch how opportunities exist for UK-based tech firms, particularly those specializing in cybersecurity and fintech, to enter the U.S. market by establishing operations in New Jersey.

The delegation also will pitch New Jersey’s academic connections as representatives from both Princeton and Rowan have made the trip. They will pitch research partnerships between universities in the UK and New Jersey that could fuel joint innovation, especially in digital health and AI.

“We are excited to lead this economic mission to the United Kingdom to bolster New Jersey’s relationships with our friends and partners across the pond,” Murphy said before the trip. “I look forward to meeting with United Kingdom officials and industry leaders to address our mutual goals. As we build up New Jersey’s innovation economy, international investments are key to attracting more jobs and opportunity for the people of the Garden State.”

Economic mission trips have become a staple of the Murphy administration, as it has made visits to more than a half-dozen countries on numerous continents, including Ireland, Israel, India, Japan, China, Taiwan and most recently Canada, where the governor led a delegation in September, visiting Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.

The visits have brought numerous agreements and strengthen the state’s ties internationally.

Choose New Jersey CEO Wes Mathews said he is confident the trip to the United will have a similar impact.

“The United Kingdom is one of New Jersey’s top markets for business attraction and economic cooperation, offering unparalleled opportunities to strengthen our partnership,” he said. “This is an exciting opportunity to showcase our state’s leadership in technology, life sciences, renewable energy, and innovation.”

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