Einstein's Alley

Einstein's Alley: The Economic Summit
Congressman Rush Holt
December 9, 2003
East Brunswick, NJ

Einstein’s Alley: The Economic Summit was convened in East Brunswick, NJ by Congressman Rush Holt as part of a larger initiative to create jobs, stimulate innovation, and define a common vision for economic development in central New Jersey. Organized by the Public Forum Institute, the summit sought to identify and accelerate the development of recommendations that foster economic growth throughout the region and address challenges currently faced by central New Jersey. Nearly 300 delegates attended the summit, representing a cross section of New Jersey’s business, labor, education, and government communities. Congressman Holt said that it was his hope that the effort would learn from, build on, and extend the work of many individuals and organizations who are looking at aspects of regional economic development.

This report summarizes the main economic objectives and strategic recommendations identified by the delegates. It also reviews the themes articulated by featured speakers and discussed by the delegates.

Key Findings
When asked what the first step should be to attract new businesses to the region, 50 percent of the delegates ranked “a skilled workforce” as the number one priority for development. The second place recommendation was “efficient transportation” (17 percent). When asked to identify the most significant roadblock to economic development in the region, the most common answer was “lack of coordination/cooperation.”

Delegates participated in a series of workshops to generate recommendations for creating an environment of sustained economic growth.

Delegates participated in a series of workshops to generate recommendations for creating an environment of sustained economic growth. Recommendations from these workshops included:

Communicate and publicize successful New Jersey start-ups.
Advocate continuous learning.
Foster regional and cross-sector collaboration and partnerships.
Encourage joint university/start-up ventures.
Hold quarterly mentoring/networking events.
Create a web page for New Jersey businesses that features information about government funding and support.
Maximize the role of public transportation for economic development corridors.