Murphy-led East Asia economic mission produces more partnerships

As the state’s economic mission continues in East Asia, Gov. Phil Murphy’s office has announced several notable developments.

NJBIZ reported Oct. 16 about the overview of the trip, which is coordinated, funded and organized by Choose New Jersey and led by Murphy as well as a delegation of business/academic leaders, lawmakers, officials and various stakeholders through Japan and South Korea until Oct. 22. The first major announcement to emerge was a Letter of Intent (LOI) signed Oct. 15 between Rutgers University, RWJBarnabas Health and Hiroshima University to advance cancer research and education between New Jersey and Japan.

The next day, the governor announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that expands a partnership between the State of New Jersey and Fukui Prefecture, Japan, to promote continued cooperation in education, culture and the economy. The partnership, which was established in 1990, spans more than three decades. The MOU builds on that, establishing opportunities for cultural and academic exchanges and the promotion of tourism to each region.

“This Memorandum of Understanding speaks to the fact that there has never been a better moment to invest in the future of New Jersey’s relationship with Japan,” said Murphy. “As we face a new century of challenges and opportunities, we have a historic opportunity to take our partnership to new heights. And I believe there is no better partner for Japan than New Jersey.”

“New Jersey and Japan share a strong bilateral relationship reflected in their highly skilled talent pools, renowned university networks, and dedication to innovating the world,” said New Jersey Economic Development Authority CEO Tim Sullivan. “The commitment today by Gov. Murphy, Gov. [Tatsuji] Sugimoto and Lt. Gov. [Yasuhiro] Nakamura to expand New Jersey’s 30-year partnership with Fukui Prefecture will build on the shared strengths of both geographies and create new, mutually beneficial opportunities to grow our economies.”

“Leaders across New Jersey understand the value of international exchange programs and efforts to stimulate economic growth across borders,” said Wesley Mathews, president and CEO of Choose New Jersey. “This foundational agreement is important for our continued partnership with Fukui Prefecture.”

Rutgers University and CMIC CMO USA Corp., a subsidiary of Japan’s top contract development and manufacturing organization, CMIC CMO Co. Ltd., also announced a partnership Oct. 16 – joining forces to establish a Center of Excellence in Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing that will be co-located at CMIC’s 224,000-square-foot facility in Cranbury.

“Rutgers brings expertise in advanced and continuous manufacturing, while our suppliers provide the latest technological advances in equipment,” said Takahiro Ueda, chief executive officer, CMIC CMO USA Corp. “This expertise allows us to integrate state-of-the-art infrastructure for rapid product and continuous process development in both non-GMP and GMP environments, giving CMIC unique capabilities to accelerate manufacturing of investigational and commercial products for the benefit of patients around the world.”

“Rutgers-New Brunswick is the nation’s No. 15 top public university and a home to interdisciplinary research – where the life sciences, engineering, and other fields come together to solve problems and discover new knowledge,” said Francine Conway, chancellor of Rutgers-New Brunswick. “This partnership will yield vast and important benefits for health and wellness.”

“Cranbury is already the proud home of CMIC’s operations in North America, and with this new partnership, the company’s economic footprint in New Jersey will only grow in the years to come and is expected to double the number of jobs at the new Cranbury facility in the future,” said Murphy, who joined the MOU ceremony at CMIC headquarters in Tokyo. “This new partnership will put both New Jersey and Japan at the forefront of unlocking the world-changing innovations of tomorrow.”

The mission has also included a slew of meetings with top Japanese political and business leaders, officials and other key stakeholders. You can find more details on those events here.

Expanding opportunities

Another major set of MOUs was signed Oct. 17 between some of New Jersey and Japan’s top research universities, along with a prominent manufacturer.

Those include agreements between Rowan University, Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) and global plastics manufacturer Sekisui Chemical, which has a presence in Secaucus, as well as between Kean University and the Osaka University of Economics, along with a reaffirmation of an MOU between Princeton University and the University of Tokyo.

In a press release announcing the MOUs, Murphy says that the partnerships will expand research and development capabilities for New Jersey students in the manufacturing sector and commission new joint research projects in the technology sector.

“These agreements will expand opportunities for researchers at one of New Jersey’s world-renowned universities, Rowan University, to partner with some of Japan’s brightest minds in the private sector and academia,” said Murphy. “New Jersey is the gateway into the American marketplace, and we are eager to welcome our friends from Japan to join us in building a better, greener future – and creating generations of good-paying jobs in the process.”

“Research universities are an essential pillar of New Jersey’s economy,” said Mathews. “By fostering these partnerships, we ensure our talent pipeline remains unparalleled as we bring together some of the world’s most respected institutions.”

Read the full article here.