New Jersey Targets Life-Sciences Investors at World's Largest Biotechnology Event

PRINCETON, N.J., June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 28, Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, Tracye McDaniel, president and CEO of Choose New Jersey (the state's independently funded and operated nonprofit economic development organization) and Dr. Jay Tischfield, CEO, Rutgers University Cell & DNA Repository (RUCDR) are traveling to Washington, DC, to meet with investors and tout New Jersey's life-sciences industries at the world's largest biotechnology event, the 2011 BIO International Convention.

At the BIO Convention, the delegation will showcase financial incentive programs that assist both major corporations and emerging healthcare companies which have a proven track record in investment attraction and job creation. Bayer HealthCare's announcement in April to consolidate its East Coast business in New Jersey and the opening of Watson Pharmaceuticals' new global headquarters in Parsippany this month can be credited, in part, to the state's business-friendly policies. These projects will directly impact 2,000 jobs in the state.

"New Jersey offers unparalleled opportunities for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device businesses. Raising awareness of these assets – like access to capital and to one of the best-educated and highly-skilled workforces in the country – is instrumental in our efforts to attract and retain companies in the state," said Tracye McDaniel, president and CEO of Choose New Jersey. "The considerable concentration of life-science businesses in New Jersey and recent investments from major corporations are a testament to what the region has to offer."

In addition, world-renowned geneticist Dr. Jay Tischfield will be on hand to highlight groundbreaking mental health research at RUCDR. The globally-recognized repository serves almost 300 clients including nearly every major medical and research school in the country, leading organizations such as the National Institute for Mental Health and Autism Speaks, and major corporations. As a professor of genetics at Rutgers University, Dr. Tischfield will also provide insight on New Jersey's highly-educated workforce, which consistently ranks among the nation's top for degreed professionals within science and engineering.  

Along with attending the conference, Choose New Jersey will host a C-level executive event to provide networking opportunities to further promote the state's biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Choose New Jersey:

Choose New Jersey is an independently-funded and operated nonprofit corporation created to promote New Jersey as a place to invest and do business. For more information visit: www.chooseNJ.com.

SOURCE Choose New Jersey