Microsoft will deploy new Discovery AI platform at the NJ AI Hub
Based in West Windsor, the Hub is one of only two global launch sites
Platform will accelerate scientific breakthroughs using AI and high-performance computing
Collaboration includes Microsoft, Princeton University, CoreWeave and the state
The New Jersey Artificial Intelligence Hub is marking a major and important step forward. Founding partner Microsoft announced Oct. 30 it will bring its new Discovery Platform to the Garden State.
As NJBIZ has reported, founding members Princeton University, Microsoft, CoreWeave and the State of New Jersey established the NJ AI Hub. A March ribbon-cutting marked its debut, and the Hub has been ramping up since. The facility includes a 6,5000-square-foot coworking space in West Windsor. It will house a future accelerator; startups; workforce development and regular events, such as workshops and panel discussions on AI ethics.
The NJ AI Hub will establish one of only two ecosystems of its kind in the world with the Discovery platform initially available. The other is TitletownTech in Wisconsin.
Microsoft Discovery is an advanced agentic AI platform designed to accelerate scientific breakthroughs and solve complex problems more efficiently. It aims to help increase access to the computational power of AI for academia, government, startups and industry in New Jersey.
“New Jersey’s life sciences landscape is world-class,” said Microsoft Executive Vice President Jason Zander in a press release. “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.”
AI for good
Liat Krawczyk, executive director of the NJ AI Hub, said part of the mission of the Hub is to bring the power of AI to the people of New Jersey for the benefit of the region as well as its economy.
“We have a real opportunity for researchers in academia and industry to have the kind of breakthroughs we’ve all been waiting for with AI,” said Krawczyk.
Notable stakeholders of the NJ AI Hub include Princeton University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Microsoft and CoreWeave. Princeton is providing the space, located in West Windsor.- PROVIDED BY PRINCETON UNIVERSITY; OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS; MATT RASPANTI (2025)
Key things to know:
With Microsoft Discovery, researchers can speed up scientific discovery 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
Platform allows teams to collaborate more effectively by bringing together specialized AI agents with human experts to encourage continuous, iterative collaboration
In the coming months, the NJ AI Hub and Microsoft will collaborate to design a strategic plan for engaging early adopters and innovators to tackle complex challenges with significant societal impact
“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,” Jennifer Rexford, Princeton’s provost and Gordon YS Wu Professor in Engineering, said in a press release.
‘Bold investments’
“By making bold investments in artificial intelligence, Gov. [Phil] 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.”
“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.”
Coviello
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. – Kathleen Coviello, NJEDA chief economic transformation officer
Krawczyk noted that the state is modeling how government, industry and academia can come together.
“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?” said Krawczyk. “We want to help any company, regardless of where they are, have an entry point and advancement avenue for their AI journey.”
“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,” said Coviello.
Accelerating innovation
NJBIZ spoke to some of the key stakeholders about this Microsoft announcement, as well as the excitement and potential of the NJ AI Hub.
“I’m super excited about it,” Rexford told NJBIZ, when asked about how important of a next step this is for the Hub. “Because I think it’s a great opportunity for both the companies and the universities in the region to be able to provide a novel tool that will let researchers accelerate the work that they’re doing – to come up with new designs. Whether it’s in health and life sciences or the design of new materials or batteries, a lot of the innovation that goes on in the state can get much, much faster and less labor intensive using this tool.”
From left: Brad Smith, president and vice chair of Microsoft, and Princeton University Provost Jennifer Rexford, at the inaugural NJ AI Summit in April 2024. – PROVIDED BY PRINCETON UNIVERSITY/SAMEER KHAN/FOTOBUDDY
Rexford spoke about New Jersey being just one of only two AI ecosystems selected for this rollout.
“We’re deeply appreciative of Microsoft for doing so. It’s also a testament to the potential for the applications of AI in the state,” said Rexford. “I think New Jersey is such a central place for the kind of industries I just mentioned – of health and life sciences and more – that for Microsoft, it’s an opportunity to reach a core industry that the state’s a leader in.”
Microsoft Discovery decoded
Zander spoke further about the platform.
“Microsoft Discovery is a new product that we have. It’s in private preview right now. And it’s basically designed to help scientists leverage AI in their everyday jobs,” Zander told NJBIZ. “We have AI tools to help software developers write code. “This is kind of the equivalent, but for scientists.”
While he noted that this product is early in its development, Zander explained the potential capabilities.
“It allows us to automate the scientific method – is the easiest way to think about it,” said Zander. “That means we can leverage foundational models and domain specific models and things like that – and help people go do new types of discovery.”
Why NJ?
“Can you speak to the decision to roll this out with Jersey as one of the two locations?” NJBIZ asked.
“We’re building on the strength of another Microsoft program called TechSpark. And then the fact that we have the New Jersey AI Hub,” Zander explained. “That means we got this nice foundation here in New Jersey that we can build on top of for the science component of this.”
Krawczyk told NJBIZ, “We’re excited to have been selected as one of the two sites to host the Microsoft Discovery platform. And given the amount of talent in the state – the scientists that are here across the educational institutions – I think we really have a very exciting tool for them.”
The new NJ AI Hub in West Windsor Township provides a physical location for AI startups to collaborate. – PROVIDED BY NJ GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
She continued, “I think what’s so exciting about this tool is that New Jersey is the home for some of the industries that are most ripe for the type of breakthroughs that we’ve all been waiting to see in terms of beneficial deployment of AI. And those industries are, of course, the future of health and smart infrastructure and manufacturing.
“Thinking about the possibilities of the advancement of science with this tool – whether that’s discovery of new molecules or relations between two previous discoveries that actually can create novel use cases. I think this would be particularly exciting in New Jersey.”
‘Just the beginning’
Krawczyk lauded the collaboration at the NJ AI Hub. She discussed this latest investment by Microsoft in the state.
“We have such excellent partners at the table. And I think they’re all bringing such valuable assets,” said Krawczyk. “And this is just the beginning of the partnership. [Microsoft is] also bringing their TechSpark capabilities on their workforce front that we’re going to be really excited to develop over time.”
TechSpark is an economic development, skilling and community building program. It works to expand AI literacy, support workforce development and foster inclusive innovation across the state – and country (in communities where it is active).
“So, we’re really look at both the innovation and the workforce investments here as both highly necessary for the development of AI across the state,” said Krawczyk.
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