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During a Monday event at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, Nokia announced plans to relocate its Bell Labs campus from Murray Hill to a new, state-of-the-art research and development facility at the developing HELIX NJ innovation district.

Nokia officials say the move to the burgeoning health, life sciences and innovation space in downtown New Brunswick reaffirms its commitment to the Garden State — upholding an 80-year heritage of cutting-edge research and innovation here.

The new facility, which will break ground in 2025, will be developed by SJP Properties with support provided by New Brunswick Development Corp. (DEVCO), the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), and the City of New Brunswick. Nokia plans to move into the facility by the beginning of 2028, which will be 10 stories, 350,000 square feet, and feature a mix of lab and office space. Nokia will be the sole tenant.

Company officials would not confirm the cost, but described it as a significant investment in New Jersey on behalf of its employees.

Nokia selected this site in New Brunswick following an extensive nationwide search of where to construct this new facility – citing the proximity to an ecosystem of academic centers of excellence, established industry leaders, exciting new startup ventures, talent, mass transit/infrastructure, high degree of livability and residential options. The company noted that collaboration and cooperation are central to the Nokia Bell Labs research model. Nokia says that the move will enable its research teams to develop disruptive technologies in areas such as quantum, photonics, optical research, 6G, AI, industrial automation and more.

At the celebration, which included Nokia officials; state leaders, such as Gov. Phil Murphy; and other key stakeholders, Nokia Chief Strategy and Technology Officer Nishant Batra opened by describing this as a great day for Nokia, New Brunswick and Jersey.

“Our Murray Hill campus has been home to the iconic Nokia Bells Labs innovation for over 80 years. As we look toward the future of Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs in the region, we will take with us all that makes us exceptional – our vision, brainpower, culture of disruptive innovation, and technical prowess – and marry that legacy with a modern research and development facility that is built to our needs,” said Batra in a press release announcing the news. “Ultimately, we want a facility that feels right for the next 100 years of Nokia Bell Labs.”

‘The possibilities are endless’

As he opened his remarks, Murphy noted there are no two words that speak to New Jersey’s role and potential as an innovation state as “Bell Labs,” stressing that Nokia was open and transparent about its extensive relocation process, which speaks to the Garden State’s appeal.

“They looked around every corner of the United States of America and probably beyond that,” Murphy explained. “And after having assessed all of their alternatives, they landed right here in New Brunswick in the great State of New Jersey. I think that’s a huge testament, not just to their process, but also to what we have to offer.”

Murphy touted the efforts of his administration to ignite the state’s innovation economy and attract more startups to the state, while being at the center of burgeoning industries and collaborative partnerships.

“I can’t imagine a better marriage between Nokia Bell Labs – on the one hand, and the HELIX, on the other,” said Murphy. “The HELIX, which is going to have big research institutions – Rutgers, Princeton, Bell Labs, a huge focus on translational research and commercializing that research, big companies and startups alike. It is one of those one plus one equals three results – that you know is magical when you see it. And this is going to be just that. Today’s announcement is a huge part of that.”

“There’s no entity in the world that embodies innovation better than Nokia Bell Labs,” said Murphy, pointing to its 10 Nobel laureates. “That’s not a bad start. To think, that this entity will be sitting right in the middle of New Brunswick – right adjacent to the likes of Rutgers, Johnson & Johnson right down the street. It feels to me like the possibilities are endless. So, I want to say – thanks to Nokia Bell Labs for picking New Brunswick. Thank you for the decades of your presence in Jersey.”

Following Murphy’s remarks, Nokia Vice President of Strategy & Technology Operations Severine Siebert, who served as the event host Dec. 11, confirmed just how extensive Nokia’s search was before picking New Brunswick. Siebert said the company first looked at the Middlesex County city this past February – when DEVCO President and HELIX NJ CEO Chris Paladino as well as SJP Properties founder, Chairman and CEO Steve Pozycki showed company officials the potential of the site and the city.

“We fell in love in with the mission that New Brunswick has,” said Siebert, noting that it fits perfect with what Nokia does already and wants to do in the future.

With that, she introduced New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill who discussed the journey of the HELIX project – thanking all of the different partners and stakeholders for their collaboration in bringing all of this to fruition.

“Today we welcome a global powerhouse in technology innovation – Nokia Bell Labs – to the heart of New Jersey and to our vibrant city,” said Cahill. “Nokia Bell Labs has long been synonymous with cutting-edge technology and groundbreaking advancements that have shaped the way we live, work, and communicate. For decades, they have been at the forefront of research and development, pushing the boundaries of what is possible and driving progress in ways that have touched literally every aspect of our lives. The decision by Nokia Bell Labs to choose New Brunswick as the home for their new state-of-the-art facility speaks volumes about the potential and promise that our city holds.”

Cahill said that with the addition of Nokia Bell Labs, the HELIX NJ project demonstrates an emboldened commitment to fostering a state and a community that values progress and embraces the future.

“So, it is with excitement and enthusiasm that we welcome Nokia Bell Labs with our open arms and the greatest appreciation for choosing New Brunswick as your new home,” said Cahill. “We look forward to the opportunities ahead to create a future where technology not only connects us, but also propels us forward into a brighter, more progressive, and prosperous tomorrow. Welcome to New Brunswick.”

“For more than a decade, Middlesex County has been on a journey to cultivate a sustainable economic ecosystem through strategic public and private partnerships – and key investments in education,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald Rios. “That vision is coming to life in several ways, including the HELIX, which will further establish Middlesex County as an epicenter of innovation and collaboration – a place where discoveries are made, ideas become reality, economic growth is fostered, and the future begins to take shape.”

Rios said Nokia coming to Helix makes perfect sense.

“Thank you to Nokia Corp. and your leadership for choosing the HELIX, the City of New Brunswick, and Middlesex County as the East Coast base for your R&D operations,” said Rios. “We are excited to welcome you to our thriving community.”

‘Sometimes dreams come true’

NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan began his remarks by joking that hearing there were 25 other potential sites Nokia looked at gave him heart palpitations. Nonetheless, he echoed others’ thoughts in thanking Nokia for choosing New Brunswick and doubling down on the great Garden State.

Sullivan noted that he was given a mandate by the governor to supercharge efforts around innovation and entrepreneurship and recapture the state’s leadership position in this area.

“Because New Jersey wrote this playbook – largely with the Bell Labs story,” Sullivan explained. “We wrote the book on innovation commercialization and job creation. That was a New Jersey story, long before there was anything called Silicon Valley.”

He also recounted and reflected on the journey of the idea for the HELIX – redeveloping an old parking garage in the heart of New Brunswick – to this day. Sullivan said it is proof that when the governor sets a strategy, is consistent with it, and puts resources behind it – great things happen. He said that also requires the really stronger partners that were acknowledged throughout the event.

Nokia officials also announced that they will launch a new venture studio based in New Jersey, aimed at unleashing the commercial potential of its Bell Labs’ innovations outside of the strategic areas it is focused on today. The company is partnering with Celesta Capital and America’s Frontier Fund to collaborate on this endeavor – with a focus on research, incubation and commercialization.

“What if Bell Labs was willing to go further and bring in external partners who are really good at commercialization of deep tech and bring capital to the table to not just do what they do and win Nobel Prizes – but create great new companies and create jobs?” said Sullivan as he ran through the different developments that have happened on the HELIX project – joking that it seems almost like a dream from when these discussions first started as he began his NJEDA tenure.

“Sometimes dreams come true,” said Sullivan. “So, congratulations and thanks everyone for making this happen. We have a lot of work to do to actually realize it – get some shovels in the ground, get some buildings built. But we are really excited about it. We could not be more appreciative of the decision from Nokia and the leadership you have shown and the leadership here in New Brunswick – and our partners in the private sector for driving this forward. Here’s to an even brighter future for New Brunswick and New Jersey.”

“Bell Labs has a storied role in the growth of America’s tech industry,” said Alan Davidson, assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) administrator, who closed out the speaking portion of the event. “We’re excited to see companies like Nokia continuing to invest in America and support the next generation of technology innovation.”

“This is big. It simultaneously does multiple things,” said Paladino. “It reinforces the longstanding relationship between New Jersey and Nokia Bell Labs. It asserts and expands New Jersey’s leadership position in the global innovation economy. It opens the doors to powerful new collaborations, all while initiating a new generation of discovery.”

Reaction has poured in from around the state applauding the move — especially from core partners of the HELIX project.

“The Nokia Bell Labs collaboration model is perfectly suited for even deeper and broader partnerships with Rutgers,” said Jonathan Holloway, president, Rutgers University. “By leveraging our already successful historic working relationships and the enormous power of locating our researchers at the world-class facilities that the HELIX NJ provides, great things will happen for Rutgers, for Nokia, for New Jersey, and for the nation.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Nokia Bell Labs to the HELIX NJ, which will continue our mission to deliver more jobs to our great state, support research and innovation and advance healthcare,” said Robert Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.

“RWJBarnabas Health is incredibly proud to be associated with the HELIX NJ project, not only as a founding tenant of the New Jersey Innovation HUB, but also as an anchor institution for Middlesex County and the City of New Brunswick,” said Mark Mannigan, president and CEO, RWJBarnabas Health. “We welcome Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs to the project, which we believe to be truly transformational for our region.”