A Brief History of Innovation in New Jersey

New Jersey has long been a center for innovation in the United States, with innovators like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Bell Labs, and many other important figures. Currently, when most people think of the hubs for technology and progress, Silicon Valley is the first place that pops into their heads, but forgetting about New Jersey’s history of progress would be a disservice. This history includes perhaps one of the most famous inventions ever: the lightbulb. The impact of this innovation was such that it has come to symbolize new ideas and inventions, and was created by Thomas Edison right in Menlo Park, NJ. Not stopping there, Edison went on to invent the phonograph and the camera as well, turning New Jersey into a place for inventors, collaboration, and advancement. This environment attracted even more innovators, namely the Bell Laboratories. Originally founded by Alexander Graham Bell, a great inventor himself, Bell Labs has contributed immensely to New Jersey’s inventive atmosphere, researching and perfecting wireless technologies such as cellular communications, radios, telephones, and microwaves. Additionally, the transistor was invented there- a core part of electrical circuits and circuit boards. Bell Labs has continued to innovate to this day, and other significant companies and peoples have grown along with it. Although the history I’ve given here is extremely condensed, these two examples give a good idea of the technological environment of New Jersey in the past, and perhaps a vision of what New Jersey can be like in the future.

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/06/05/531250084/before-silicon-valley-new-jersey-reigned-as-nations-center-of-innovation

https://www.visitnj.org/article/new-jersey-innovation-state