Drive down Route 55 in Mantua Township and you’ll see it. It looks like a sleek, modern office complex rising out of the Gloucester County landscape, but the South Jersey Tech Park is actually something much more aggressive. It is a massive bet on the idea that innovation doesn't just happen in Silicon Valley or Cambridge. It happens in the suburbs. It happens where academia meets the private sector.
Rowan University didn’t just build a few buildings here. They built an ecosystem.
Most people see the Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center and think "classrooms." They're wrong. Honestly, it’s a collision space. You have startups trying to figure out how to scale a business sitting five feet away from seasoned engineers and Rowan researchers. It’s about tech transfer. It’s about taking a "what if" from a lab and turning it into a "here is the product" in the marketplace.
The Rowan University Connection
The South Jersey Tech Park isn't some isolated island. Its DNA is 100% Rowan University. Because the university owns and operates the park, the barrier between "student" and "professional" basically vanishes. If you are a company located here, you aren't just renting a desk; you’re buying into a pipeline of talent that is hungry, local, and incredibly well-trained in STEM fields.
Think about the CAVE. That’s the Center for Virtual Reality. It’s one of the crown jewels of the South Jersey Tech Park. We aren't talking about playing video games. We are talking about high-level data visualization that helps the Department of Defense, NASA, and private construction firms see problems before they exist in the real world.
The relationship is symbiotic. Rowan gets a place for its faculty to consult and its students to intern. The businesses get access to high-end labs they couldn't possibly afford on their own. It’s a win-win that actually works, which is rare.
What Is Actually Inside the Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center?
The first building, named after Samuel H. Jones, is a 45,000-square-foot beast. It houses the South Jersey Technology Park’s core operations. You’ll find the Technology Business Incubator here.
What does that mean?
It means a safety net for entrepreneurs. Starting a tech company is terrifying. The failure rate is high. But here, you get "wet labs"—places where you can actually do chemistry or biological research—alongside high-speed fiber and shared conference rooms. It lowers the overhead. It gives a guy with a great idea a fighting chance to survive the first two years of business.
- The CREATES Lab: This is the Center for Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering systems. They do heavy-duty pavement and materials testing.
- Business suites that look like high-end law offices but smell like soldering irons and ambition.
- The Office of Technology Commercialization. These are the people who help you patent your invention. They know the legal hurdles. They’ve seen it all.
The mix of tenants is wild. You might have a company developing new asphalt technologies right next to a group working on drone flight paths. It’s chaotic in the best way possible.
✨ Don't miss: The Rite Aid Union Deposit Harrisburg PA Situation: What’s Actually Happening
Why Location Is Everything for South Jersey Tech
People used to think you had to be in Philadelphia or New York to matter in tech. That’s old-school thinking. The South Jersey Tech Park sits right in the middle of a massive logistics hub. You’ve got the 295 corridor, the Jersey Turnpike, and the proximity to the Port of Philadelphia.
If you’re building hardware, you need to ship things. If you’re building software, you need a place where your employees can actually afford to live. Mantua and Glassboro offer a quality of life that Philly can't always match for a young family. You get the brains of the university and the space of the suburbs. It’s a strategic choice.
Misconceptions About the Park
A lot of locals think the park is just for Rowan students. Nope. Not even close. While the university is the engine, the park is open to private industry. If you have a legitimate tech startup or an established firm looking for an R&D satellite, you can be there.
Another myth? That it’s "just an office park." If you call a place with a 10-foot VR screen and advanced materials testing labs an "office park," you’re missing the point. It’s a laboratory.
The Future: Phase Two and Beyond
The master plan for the South Jersey Tech Park is ambitious. We are talking about hundreds of acres of development. The goal is a full-scale campus where people work, live, and innovate. It’s about creating a "tech corridor" in South Jersey that rivals the Route 1 corridor in North Jersey.
Is it there yet? No. These things take decades. But the foundation is solid. The Samuel H. Jones center is full. The demand is there. Businesses are realized that they don't need a skyscraper to change the world; they just need a good lab and a few smart engineers from Rowan.
Real-World Impact
Let’s look at the numbers, though I hate getting bogged down in stats. The economic impact on Gloucester County is massive. Every job created in the tech park has a multiplier effect. The person working at a biotech startup buys lunch at the local deli. They buy a house in a nearby development. They pay local taxes.
Moreover, it keeps talent in New Jersey. For years, we’ve seen a "brain drain" where our best graduates head to California or Boston. The South Jersey Tech Park gives them a reason to stay. It says, "You can build your dream right here in the 856."
👉 See also: 1 North State Street Chicago IL: What You’re Missing About This Iconic Loop Corner
Practical Steps for Interested Businesses
If you’re a founder or an R&D director, don't just send an email. Go there.
- Schedule a Tour: You need to see the labs. You need to see the CAVE. Contact the Rowan University Office of Vice President for Research.
- Audit Your Needs: Do you need a wet lab? Do you need office space? Do you just need access to the student talent pool? Be specific about what your business is missing.
- Check the Incentives: New Jersey has some pretty aggressive tax credits for tech companies, especially those partnered with universities. Look into the NJEDA (New Jersey Economic Development Authority) programs.
- Engage with Rowan: Even if you don't move in, look into sponsored research. You can hire Rowan faculty to solve specific technical problems for your company.
The South Jersey Tech Park isn't just a collection of buildings. It is the physical manifestation of South Jersey's refusal to be left behind in the digital economy. It’s gritty, it’s smart, and it’s growing. If you're looking for where the next big thing in the region is going to come from, keep your eyes on this patch of land in Mantua. It’s more than just a commute; it’s the future of the state's economy.