NJ's AI Hub With Princeton U, Microsoft, & CoreWeave Officially Opens

PRINCETON, NJ - Gov. Phil Murphy, along with local and state representatives, officially opened the NJ AI Hub, a collaborative ecosystem designed to foster AI innovation through research, education, and workforce development.

The facility is housed in space provided by Princeton University. Located at 619 Alexander Road in West Windsor, along New Jersey's innovation corridor, the hub aims to position the state as a leading East Coast center for artificial intelligence.

The founding partners of the hub are Princeton University and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), with Microsoft and CoreWeave joining them later.

The hub brings together researchers, industry leaders, and startups to advance AI development while promoting ethical applications and positive social impact.

"With the opening of the NJ AI Hub, we are moving forward in establishing New Jersey as a global leader in technology and innovation," Murphy said. "Under our Administration, the Garden State has emerged as a premier destination for innovators, investors, and researchers blazing a trail in generative AI."

In his comments during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration. "The partnership we celebrate today shows how the public, private and academic sectors can come together to spark innovation in artificial intelligence, spur economic development, and strengthen the regional ecosystem," Eisgruber said.

Microsoft's Brad Smith described the hub as "a public-private partnership between the university and Microsoft that will support and drive economic opportunity for the state and greater region for decades to come."

CoreWeave's co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Brian Venturo, highlighted the hub's potential impact on local talent. "This is more than just a space for innovation; we believe it's a launchpad for aspiring technologists, engineers, and creators across NJ who no longer need to leave home to build world-class careers in AI," Venturo said.

The founding partners will invest over $72 million to support the hub's three main pillars — research and development, commercialization and innovation acceleration, and AI education and workforce development. The NJEDA plans to invest up to $25 million to support both the NJ AI Hub and the planned NJ AI Venture Fund, which will invest in early-stage AI startups in New Jersey's strategic industries.

As part of the initiative, Microsoft will bring its TechSpark program to New Jersey. Since its founding in 2017, TechSpark has helped secure more than $700 million in community funding, trained 65,000 people in technology skills, and created 4,500 jobs across all 50 states.