McGreevey Aide Addresses Council Business/University Collaboration Crucial Issue With the McGreevey Administration still in its infancy and facing a major budget crisis, the research and development community has been anxious to hear what plans the new administration has for maintaining the current roster of research firms in the state, while attracting new firms to help revive the state’s economy and to bolster its image as a leader in research and development. At its January 31 board meeting, Adam Pechter, incoming COO of the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission addressed the council and gave members the opportunity to tell him what they feel Governor James E. McGreevey should be focusing on as his administration takes shape. "The Governor wants to make it clear that we have to be thinking about R&D. What the Council does is part and parcel of what we need to do," said Pechter. "We are way behind in technology start-ups and with a downturn in projected revenues, we don’t have a choice, we need to do more with what we have." Pechter asked Council members that if he could take back to the Governor three key issues concerning R&D, what would they be? "The Governor asked me to ask you, what should those things be? Is it career academies, is it renaissance zones, or is the problem with the packaging of New Jersey? Does that need improvement?" Pechter emphasized that the three actionable items must be low cost or no cost given the budget constraints, and they must be tangible for voters in order to document a case to the Governor. With that, a lively discussion ensued focusing on two issues that have come before the Council in the past: What can be done to encourage collaboration between New Jersey’s research companies and its prestigious universities, and how do we keep the workforce we have? "We are fighting a battle of retention," said Dr Michael Breton, of Rutgers University. "We cannot lose on an economic basis." A number of members mentioned North Carolina’s research triangle as an example of a state that not only successfully encouraged research and development companies to lay stakes in North Carolina, but it is also an excellent example of cooperation between business and academia in the state. Pechter told the group that he and Governor McGreevey had, in fact, toured the Research Triangle and similar facilities. Others contended that while creating a research triangle would be nearly impossible in New Jersey given the space limitations alone, there still has to be more frequent collaboration between industry and the state’s universities, and New Jersey must continue to look for ways to attract and retain superior research organizations and the people needed to fill them. Mario M. Casabona, Council Chairman said, "While these success stories like the Research Triangle and Silicon Valley came from a vision built from the ground up, New Jersey has an existing base. I think the question is, how do we grow it?" Everyone seemed to agree that the Governor must take an active role if New Jersey is to continue to prosper. Victor Ferlise of US Army Communications, Electronic Command (US Army Ce-Com) told Pechter that the new administration should work to get the military community to New Jersey. The three communications facilities in the United States will eventually be combined. "We should plan to win the federal communications sector," Ferlise said. Dr. Don Sebastion, Vice President of Research & Development for NJIT expressed his concerns over education spending. "New Jersey is built on mature shoulders, and it needs an incubation of new companies. The current allocation of funds is not necessarily appropriate; perhaps we should put the funds into working models to promote science and technology rather than spreading a thin veneer of money over everything." While it’s easy to expect the state to develop innovative ways to attract businesses, businesses and universities must also show the state that it will pay-off in new jobs and economic growth. "It’s my job to keep the Governor engaged in these issues," said Pechter, "but you have to be able to show him how we can all benefit." Pechter, who received a very warm reception, assured the Council members that the Governor will be made aware of their needs, and encouraged they maintain communications with him should they have useful suggestions for accomplishing these goals.