Nokia Bell Labs Begins Construction on New Headquarters in New Jersey, Aiming to Spark Next-Generation Innovation
NEW JERSEY – Nokia Bell Labs today broke ground on its new global headquarters in New jersey, a state-of-the-art research and development facility dubbed “HELIX.” The move, anticipated to be completed in 2026, signifies a renewed commitment to pioneering research on the East Coast and builds upon the storied legacy of innovation established by Bell Labs over nearly a century.
The new facility represents a meaningful investment in the future of telecommunications and computing, with research slated to focus on areas including 7G, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and quantum network security.Nokia Bell Labs leadership believes the new habitat will act as a catalyst for breakthroughs, mirroring the impact of previous headquarters locations.
“We are building not just a building, but a community-the best facility possible.That is our dream,” said Nokia Bell Labs President, Peter Vetter.
Bell Labs’ history is marked by pivotal relocations. Originally established in New York City in 1925, the primary R&D operations moved to Murray Hill, New Jersey, in 1941. It was during the subsequent decade that the facility became renowned for groundbreaking inventions like the transistor and the cellular network.
“I want to think that our move will again be a catalyst for breakthrough innovations to happen in the decade after we move in and will be in a variety of areas such as 7G, AI, quantum computing and quantum network security,” Vetter added.
Nokia Bell Labs emphasizes the importance of translating research into real-world applications.”We also need to make sure the research goes into the real world,” Vetter explained. “If somebody has a problem in the real world and you solve it in the lab but you don’t make that leap of technology into the real world, the problem still exists.” The company also intends to foster the creation of new businesses to commercialize these technologies.
The groundbreaking coincides with an upcoming celebration on October 21st in Murray hill,where several technologies developed at the location will be recognized as IEEE Milestones. These include innovations that led to three Nobel Prizes: super-resolved microscopy, the charge-coupled device, and the fractional quantum hall effect.The nominations were sponsored by IEEE region 1 and the IEEE North Jersey Section.
The IEEE Milestones program, administered by the IEEE History Center and supported by donors, honors significant technological achievements worldwide. The Institute will feature a full report on the Nokia Bell Labs milestone achievement ceremony in its November issue.
