The New Jersey Artificial Intelligence Hub (NJ AI Hub) and founding partner Microsoft TechSpark are teaming up with TitletownTech to accelerate scientific discovery using a new platform tapping agentic AI, according to statements on Thursday, Oct. 30.
TechSpark recently launched Miscrosoft Discovery, a new model for scientific collaboration, at just two locations worldwide: the NJ AI Hub at Princeton University, and TitletownTech at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The new tool uses agentic AI to accelerate scientific research by automating tasks and discovering new information, Microsoft said in a statement.
“New Jersey’s life sciences landscape is world-class,” said Jason Zander, Microsoft Executive Vice President and head of the Discovery and Quantam teams.
“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,” Zander added.
The new model accelerates research, analyzes data, and solves complex problems combining “the agility of a startup, the expertise of a university, and the technology of a global company.”
“We believe this kind of alliance is essential to ensure that breakthroughs in science and solutions to global challenges are not confined to a few but shared broadly for the benefit of all,” said TechSpark General Manager Mike Egan.
Microsoft Discovery & Agentic AI
The Microsoft Discovery and Quantum team enables researchers to leverage state-of-the-art AI and high-performance computing. Collaborating with a team of specialized AI agents combined with a graph-based knowledge engine, the aim is to “drive scientific outcomes with speed, scale, and accuracy,” said Egan.
The new platform also advances continuous, iterative collaboration by enabling effective partnerships between specialized AI agents and human experts, Princeton University said in a statement.
“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 the Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor in Engineering, said in a statement.
She also noted it brings opportunities for researchers from colleges and universities across the state to engage with the new platform and other offerings of the NJ AI Hub.
Microsoft Discovery uses agentic AI to quickly analyze vast amounts of scientific data, simulate experiments, and discover new materials or solutions much faster than traditional methods. Traditional AI requires constant guidance, whereas agentic AI can make independent decisions.
Agentic AI can adapt to changing conditions and tap tools as needed for tasks such as sending emails or adjusting supply chains. With the ability to combine reasoning and actions in the real world, AI becomes capable of complex automation and intelligent problem-solving.
“Part of the mission of the New Jersey AI Hub is to bring the power of artificial intelligence to the people of New Jersey, for the benefit of the region and its economy,” said Liat Krawczyk, executive director of the NJ AI Hub. “We have here a real opportunity for researchers in academia and industry to have the kind of breakthroughs we’ve all been waiting for with AI.”
A former senior adviser on the CHIPS for America strategy team at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Krawczyk in May was named the inaugural executive director of the NJ AI Hub
About the NJ AI Hub
Founded in March 2025 by the State of New Jersey under Gov. Phil Murphy; Princeton University, under President Christopher L. Eisgrube; Microsoft and CoreWeave, the NJ AI Hub aims to position New Jersey as a leading East Coast center for AI innovation. Located along Route 1 at 619 Alexander Road in West Windsor, Microsoft, CoreWeave, the NJEDA, and Princeton University are founding equity partners.
The Hub includes a 6,500-square-foot co-working space to house future accelerator, startups, education and workforce development efforts, and regular events, such as workshops and panel discussions on AI ethics.
Its core focus:
Research and development (R&D): Facilitating the integration of AI into various business sectors, with a particular focus on New Jersey’s key industries like life sciences and clean energy.
- Research and development (R&D): Facilitating the integration of AI into various business sectors, with a particular focus on New Jersey’s key industries like life sciences and clean energy.
- Commercializing and accelerating innovation: Operating an AI accelerator program to support the growth of early-stage AI startups.
- Strengthening AI education and workforce development: Working with the state’s higher education institutions and leveraging Microsoft’s TechSpark program to train the next generation of AI talent.
The NJ AI Hub is also supported through the NJEDA’s Strategic Innovation Center (SIC) initiative.
Microsoft TechSpark
Launched in 2018, the TechSpark program initially worked to accelerate economic growth in six communities across the United States and Mexico. Since its inception, TechSpark has helped create more than 4,500 jobs and contributed more than $700 million in community funding to support local initiatives, Microsoft said.
It has secured over $700$M in community funding and helped more than 65,000 people gain digital skills. It also highlights the broader Microsoft TechSpark initiative, which aims to boost economic opportunity in communities through digital access, computer science education, and digital skills training.
