One of the largest redevelopment efforts in Middlesex County will bear the name of a Garden State company, as Johnson & Johnson has finalized a deal for the science-driven HELIX project.
Portal Innovations, in partnership with the New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO) and HELIX, announced that the first phase of the HELIX will be called the Johnson & Johnson Exchange at the New Jersey Innovation Hub (NJIH). The complex is a 30,000-square-foot science incubator within the HELIX in New Brunswick and will provide early-stage, science-driven startups with flexible lab space and access to Portal’s global network of capital and industry partners to help them accelerate breakthrough ideas.
The soon-to-open Johnson & Johnson Exchange will serve as NJIH’s central convening space and will host a variety of events annually. The pharmaceutical giant will also sponsor targeted, high-impact innovation initiatives at NJIH as part of the recently announced deal.
“The Johnson & Johnson Exchange at the New Jersey Innovation Hub reflects our belief that great ideas can come from anywhere, and that when industry, entrepreneurs, and academia come together, we can accelerate medical breakthroughs to deliver better outcomes for patients, support job creation and drive economic growth across New Jersey,” said Joaquin Duato, Johnson & Johnson’s chairman and chief executive officer, in a statement.
The NJIH is being developed as part of HELIX, a mixed-use innovation district that aims to bring together research, health care, education, and industry partners in downtown New Brunswick. The second phase of the development was funded by the state last summer, while the final 39-story phase was approved by the New Brunswick Planning Board earlier this year.
