In an important step forward for the New Jersey Artificial Intelligence Hub (NJ AI Hub), founding partner Microsoft announced Thursday (10/30) that it will bring to the Hub its new Microsoft Discovery platform, an advanced Agentic AI and cloud technology that promises to help scientists and organizations accelerate research and solve complex problems more efficiently.

“Part of the mission of the New Jersey AI Hub is to bring the power of artificial intelligence to the people of New Jersey, for the benefit of the region and its economy,” said Liat Krawczyk, executive director of the NJ AI Hub. “We have here a real opportunity for researchers in academia and industry to have the kind of breakthroughs we’ve all been waiting for with AI.” 

The NJ AI Hub, in partnership with Princeton University, will be one of only two ecosystems of its kind in the world where the Discovery platform will be available initially, along with TitletownTech in Wisconsin as part of a partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“We’re excited for our scholars to use the Microsoft Discovery platform to accelerate their cutting-edge scientific work and be early leaders in this new mode of research,” said Jennifer Rexford, Princeton’s provost and the Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor in Engineering, also noting the opportunities for researchers from colleges and universities across the state to engage with the new platform and other offerings of the NJ AI Hub.

With Microsoft Discovery, researchers can speed up scientific discovery by using advanced AI and high-performance computing to analyze vast amounts of scientific data, simulate experiments and discover new materials or solutions much faster than traditional methods. In addition, the platform allows teams to collaborate more effectively by bringing together specialized AI agents with human experts to encourage continuous, iterative collaboration. 

“New Jersey’s life sciences landscape is world-class,” said Microsoft Executive Vice President Jason Zander. “In bringing Microsoft Discovery to this partnership with the NJ AI Hub, we can accelerate breakthroughs where they matter most. By connecting industry and academic expertise across pharma, biotech, and materials science, we’re poised to turn high-impact challenges into solutions faster and at scale.”

In addition to its role as a founding partner of the NJ AI Hub, Microsoft’s TechSpark program is also active in New Jersey, working to expand AI literacy, support workforce development and foster inclusive innovation across the state. 

The Microsoft Discovery platform offers the promise of helping increase access to the computational power of AI for academia, government, startups and industry in New Jersey — advancing an important goal of the NJ AI Hub and its founding members: Princeton University, Microsoft, CoreWeave and the State of New Jersey.

“New Jersey is modeling how government, industry and academia can come together,” said Krawczyk. “How do you meet every company where they are in their life cycle, whether they are still in the ideation and R&D stage, or commercializing and scaling up, or working on market penetration? We want to help any company, regardless of where they are, have an entry point and advancement avenue for their AI journey.”

Over the coming months, the NJ AI Hub and Microsoft will collaborate to design a strategic plan for engaging early adopters and innovators tackling complex challenges with significant societal impact. This premium engagement period will prioritize fostering connections within New Jersey’s vibrant university research and laboratory ecosystem—particularly along the Route 1 corridor—while leveraging the full breadth of research talent across the state.

“By making bold investments in artificial intelligence, Governor Murphy has positioned New Jersey at the forefront of this transformative field,” said NJEDA Chief Economic Transformation Officer Kathleen Coviello. “We appreciate Microsoft’s partnership in our shared mission to bolster the AI industry and for bringing its new platform to the NJ AI Hub, which will help accelerate research and fuel innovation. The NJ AI Hub builds upon the Garden State’s long legacy of innovation and technological excellence and will lead to more good-paying job opportunities for New Jersey residents.”

The Hub includes a 6,500-square-foot co-working space in West Windsor that will house a future accelerator, startups, education and workforce development efforts and regular events, such as workshops and panel discussions on AI ethics. 

“At CoreWeave we see firsthand from our customers how AI can innovate, develop, and shape the very foundation of our world and enable awe-inspiring scientific discoveries,” said Corey Sanders, Senior Vice President of Product at CoreWeave. “We are thrilled that Microsoft is bringing its Discovery platform to the NJ AI Hub to accelerate these cutting-edge advancements in science, right here in our home state of New Jersey.”