This month, copies of  New Jersey Business magazine will be distributed at the 2015 BIO International Conference in Philadelphia (June 15-18). Referred to as the “Olympics of the biotechnology world,” the event will be attended by more than 16,000 industry leaders from 70 countries (a majority of whom will be c-suite level executives). As they walk through the 160,000 square feet of exhibit space, they are destined to visit the 30’ x 50’ NJ Pavilion, hosted by the state and Choose New Jersey.

We are sure the state and its partners (trade associations, institutions of higher education, biopharmaceutical firms and related high-tech service industries) will be putting their best foot forward in promoting New Jersey as the place to locate a biopharmaceutical firm.

The statistics prove that the state “is the logical place to be,” as Choose New Jersey’s Michele Brown says in the story “NJ to Shine at BIO International,” which begins on page 26. According to various surveys and reports, the state boasts 3,042 life science facilities, and is home to 14 of the world’s top 20 biopharmaceutical companies and 13 of the world’s top 20 medical technology and diagnostics companies.

In terms of institutions of higher education, the state is home to 63 colleges and universities, turning out 22,000 life sciences graduates each year. In fact, an elite group of six higher education institutions offer graduate and post-graduate degrees in biomedical and healthcare fields.

There is more to brag about concerning the state’s biopharmaceutical and other high-tech sectors, and that is what this special issue of New Jersey Business aims to do. On the following pages, we spotlight the various trade associations and government agencies dedicated to promoting high-tech innovation and, in turn, economic development. Besides the focus on biopharmaceutical firms, we present feature stories on industries such as telecommunications, healthcare technology, military contractors, data centers and chemicals, while presenting stories on the growth of high-tech startups and the booming collaboration between the state’s institutions of higher education and the business community.

New Jersey has a great story to tell, as it is “The Innovative State.” Once home to the likes of Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, David Sarnoff, Dr. Selman A. Waksman and numerous Noble Prize winners, especially at Bell Labs, great minds continue settle in the Garden State to develop the technologies that make the world a better place to live.

New Jersey Business would like to personally thank all of the organizations and agencies that contributed articles for this special issue. Special thanks go to Choose New Jersey and the Christie Administration for their assistance.