The CEO of Nestlé joined Gov. Phil Murphy Monday to announce the opening of the company’s new research and development center in Bridgewater.

The Nestlé Health Science Global R&D Center will help the company create and manufacture more nutritious products. The facility is the lead product technology center worldwide for Nestlé’s health science brands.

The opening of the facility is part of the Murphy administration’s economic plan to draw companies to the Garden State.

“We focused on a short list of sectors that were high-growth, high-wage sectors. Food and beverage was right at the top of that,” the governor said. “It was with facilities just like this in mind where food science moves from thought to research and all the way to product development to commercialization.”

Murphy said that the facility will eventually employ 170 people. He says that 71 people are already on the job.