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The Rutgers Food Innovation Center is partnering with Israeli food manufacturer Tnuva, spurred by Choose New Jersey’s economic mission trip to Israel in February of last year.

The trip’s mission was to “strengthen economic and cultural ties with one of our long-time allies,” according to Choose New Jersey President and CEO Jose Lozano, and the Tnuva-FIC partnership “is just another example of how New Jersey is the best place to do business and showcases how we are seeing global interest in our state’s thriving innovation ecosystem.”

Though Tnuva’s U.S. headquarters are already in Lincoln Park, Choose New Jersey met with key industry leaders and community stakeholders at its Israeli headquarters in February 2020 to promote New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem.

Tnuva is one of the biggest manufacturers of kosher food worldwide, according to an announcement, and The FIC in Bridgeton and Piscataway is both a food business incubator and accelerator.

New Jersey is home to the fourth-largest Israel-born population and the fourth largest population of Israeli ancestry in the United States, and the New Jersey-Israel Commission has worked since 1989 to promote cultural and educational exchanges and to encourage capital investment and joint business ventures.

“In a year filled with such uncertainty, it is encouraging to see that our February 2020 economic mission trip continues to produce real results for the State of New Jersey,” said Mark Levenson, Chairman, New Jersey—Israel Commission and Choose New Jersey Partner in a prepared statement. “As we look toward rebuilding and recovering in the months ahead, I look forward to seeing how this collaboration will benefit the New Jersey economy moving forward.”