the research triangle park

The Triangle

It’s Not Just a Shape or a Region, it’s an Engine for Growth.

The Research Triangle Region of North Carolina is not only home to some of the fastest growing companies and communities in the world, it’s home to an educated workforce, limitless room for growth, and some of the highest quality of living you can find in the United States. Let’s talk about how you can be a part of it.

Our Counties

Get to know the counties that make up the Research Triangle Region.

• Research Triangle Park

One Region, Endless Resources

We’re all in on business..

We’re one of the fastest growing regions that’s more affordable than most metro markets. All in a state voted Top State for Business by CNBC, two years in a row.

We’re Talented Beyond Belief.

12 colleges and universities, 9 nationally renowned community colleges, and 4 HBCUs produce 65,000 local graduates each year.

We’re Connected to the World.

There’s nothing “regional” about the work we do here — it has global implications. Luckily, the region is situated at a crossroads of rail and road corridors, and is connected with direct flights to major airports all over the US and Europe.

We’re Living Large.

With low cost of living and vibrant urban, suburban, and rural communities full of available, affordable homes, there’s a lot to love about living here. Plus, beaches and mountains are just short drives away — not to mention an average commute time of only 24 minutes.

Why is it Called the 'Research Triangle'?

The Research Triangle gets its name from Research Triangle Park and three Tier 1 research universities—Duke University, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill—located only minutes apart.

Business Climate at a Glance

A diverse business ecosystem.

The Triangle Region has a diverse business ecosystem with over 7,000 companies across multiple industries including Agtech, Cleantech, Life Sciences, Advantaged Manufacturing and Technology.

An Educated Workforce

There is a never-ending pipeline of talent flowing between these institutions and the business community. With one of the most educated workforces in the nation, hiring and expanding couldn’t be easier.

Make the Triangle Your Home Base, While Staying Connected to the World.

The Research Triangle Region is easily accessible through direct flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, six regional airports, two ports, and multiple interstates.

Research Triangle Park

Written By Dr. Troy L. Kickler

During the mid-1950s, business and government leaders worried about North Carolina’s economic future.   The per capita income ($1,049) was one of the lowest in the Southeast and in the nation, and the state seemed dependent on manufacturing jobs in the agriculture, forestry, and furniture, and textile industries.  Leaders, including Robert Hanes, the president of Wachovia Bank and Trust Company, and Romeo Guest, a Greensboro contractor, planned how to attract modern industries to the Tar Heel State.   Research Triangle Park (RTP) was their brainchild, and it later became one of the top five research centers in the United States.   According to historian Numan V. Bartley, RTP was the “South’s most successful high-technology venture.”

Since 1952, UNC sociologist Howard Odum had suggested that the state should take advantage of the Triangle’s three research universities: UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State, and Duke University.  Leaders decided that RTP should be a private endeavor, with cooperation from the universities, instead of being a government-sponsored action.

Developers had to overcome a few problems. Leaders worked to rehabilitate the state’s image to attract companies (and their employees) from across the nation.  One, the rest of the nation watched and read news reports detailing the Civil Rights Movement.  Two, developers had to convince prospective companies that the South was capable of handling such a research park.  Developers also needed to raise money and purchase land.

The first couple years were uneventful, but when the venture changed from profit to non-profit status, the proposed research center seemed possible.  With Governor Luther Hodges’s endorsement, the Research Triangle Committee was formed in 1956, and its executive director, George Simpson, approached Karl Robbins in 1957 to develop land for the proposed research park. Robbins created Pineland, Inc., a stock venture to purchase land for the potential center.  Few people purchased stock in the company, so developers sought corporate and institutional funding.  The Research Triangle Institute (RTI) was formed in 1958 and operated independently from the area universities. In a year, RTI had raised $1.5 million.

Five companies located in RTP at the end of 1959, and the research center continued to attract more.  (The Research Triangle Foundation was formed in 1959, and it managed RTP.)  By the mid-1960s, public confidence in the feasibility of the Park’s long-term success was solidified: International Business Machines (IBM) announced its plans for a 400-acre, 600,000 square foot research facility in RTP, and the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare publicized its plans to establish its National Environment Health Service Center at RTP.

According to Research Triangle Park: Evolution and Renaissance , the Park annually averaged six companies and 1,800 new employees over the next four decades.  During the 1990s technological boom, RTP’s employment numbers reached its peak at approximately 45,000.  Today, RTP houses nearly 140 businesses that employ approximately 38,000.  Corporations include GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, Nortel Networks, and Cisco Systems.

Numan V. Bartley, The New South, 1945-1980: The Story of the South’s Modernization (Baton Rouge, 1995); William S. Powell, Encyclopedia of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, 2006); Rick L. Weddle, Elizabeth Rooks, and Tina Valdecanas, Research Triangle Park: Evolution and Renaissance.  Paper presented to International Association of Science Parks World Conference, 2006.

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Copyright notice

This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. Copyright © 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher .

Is anything in this article factually incorrect? Please submit a comment.

Have a question or a suggestion about this entry contact ncpedia at https://www.ncpedia.org/contact, research triangle park.

by Wiley J. Williams, 2006

Research Triangle Park, the largest planned research center in the United States, was created in 1959 through the efforts of Governor Luther Hodges and hundreds of scientists, politicians, and business leaders. Located between Raleigh and Durham and the Triangle's three acclaimed universities-the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Duke University , and North Carolina State University -Research Triangle Park (RTP) in 2006 encompassed 7,000 acres and was home to more than 100 research and development organizations employing 38,000 North Carolinians. Smaller but highly successful research parks also existed in Charlotte , Greensboro , Rocky Mount, and elsewhere, playing an important role in the diversification of the state's economy.

The need for a redirection of economic development away from traditional products such as textiles , tobacco , and furniture was envisioned in the early 1950s by some of North Carolina's more progressive leaders. In 1952 Howard Odum, a renowned UNC-Chapel Hill sociologist and founder of the university's Institute for Research in Social Science , voiced a number of ideas about cooperative research centers that could benefit the state by combining the strengths of its three research universities. State leaders considered how these institutions could become a foundation for economic development.

In the mid-1950s Greensboro construction company executive Romeo Guest, state treasurer Brandon P. Hodges (no relation to Governor Hodges), and Walter Harper of the State Board of Conservation and Development were recruiting industry to North Carolina from other states. Guest, who had studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, had seen firsthand the growth of university-related industry along Boston's Route 128. Hoping that the phenomenon could be duplicated in North Carolina, Guest coined the term "Research Triangle" after noticing the triangular relationship on a map of Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh. He discussed the idea with business and academic leaders around the state throughout 1954. Prominent among the business leaders was Robert M. Hanes , president of Wachovia Bank . The group decided that government participation would be needed, and members approached Governor Hodges. Over time, Hodges agreed with the concept and soon became one of its strongest proponents.

In September 1956 the Research Triangle Committee (changed in 1958 to the Research Triangle Foundation) was formally incorporated. Members included Hodges in his capacity as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the consolidated University of North Carolina, President William C. Friday of the consolidated University of North Carolina System , President A. Hollis Edens of Duke University, and Norman A. Cooke, chairman of Duke's Board of Trustees. The foundation hired George L. Simpson, a sociology professor at UNC, as its executive director. He and Elizabeth Johnson Aycock, his office manager and secretary, were the first two full-time employees of the committee.

In 1957 Hodges and Simpson approached Karl Robbins, who had sold off extensive textile holdings in North Carolina and retired to New York, and asked him to begin to create a development suitable for the RTP. Robbins agreed and authorized Guest to purchase or buy options in the middle of the Raleigh-Durham area. The land was primarily infertile farm acreage and young pines. Robbins incorporated a company called Pinelands, of which Guest was president. However, few people bought stock in the company; moreover, by 1958 several state leaders began to feel uneasy about using the resources of the state universities to promote a for-profit endeavor.

In August 1958 Hodges met with Archibald "Archie" K. Davis , Hanes's successor at Wachovia, to consider the next step, and Davis suggested that the enterprise be turned into a nonprofit venture. Hanes and Hodges agreed, and Davis embarked on a whirlwind tour to raise money to buy out Pinelands and fund the creation of the Research Triangle Institute (RTI), an independent nonprofit contract research corporation established by the three universities but operating under separate management with separate facilities, staff, and board of governors. By the end of the year Davis had raised nearly $1.5 million, and by early 1959 the creation of the RTP, under the control of the nonprofit Research Triangle Foundation, was announced. George Herbert, lured from Stanford Industrial Park in Palo Alto, Calif., was named head of RTI, which began operating on 2 Mar. 1959.

By year's end, five organizations were either located in the RTP or were constructing facilities to move there. In 1962 the U.S. Forest Service became the first federal tenant. Any doubts about the park's success were dispelled beginning in 1965, when International Business Machines ( IBM ) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences announced plans to establish operations in the RTP. In time, professional associations such as the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists , Instrument Society of America , and International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and Underwriters Laboratories , as well as banks, restaurants, and other service organizations, joined a growing list of organizations settling in the RTP.

RTP industries have remained remarkably diverse, with several large, long-term occupants representing the health and pharmaceutical sciences, information technology , microelectronics, biotechnology, and environmental sciences. By the 2000s several foreign firms had operations in the RTP. Other federal agencies such as the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also had RTP facilities. The UNC Center for Public Television moved into the park in 1989. A prominent occupant of the RTP since 1978, the National Humanities Center -created by a special committee of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Triangle Universities Center for Advanced Studies -attracted some of the world's most distinguished scholars, leading to important books in the fields of history, biography, literature, sociology, politics, and other related areas. In the early 2000s RTP's largest employers were IBM (13,300), GlaxoSmithKline (5,000), Nortel Networks (3,000), and Cisco Systems (2,500).

References:

"As RTP Turns 40, the Big Picture Is to Think Small," Raleigh News and Observer , 10 Jan. 1999.

Albert N. Link, A Generosity of Spirit: The Early History of the Research Triangle Park (1995).

"Research Triangle Park 40th Anniversary-Special Report," Triangle Business Journal , 15 Jan. 1999.

Additional Resources:

Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina official website: http://www.rtp.org/

Schalin, Jay. "Hard to Reproduce Game Plan of RTP Founders: Unique confluence of time and place made RTP possible" Carolina Journal February 10, 2011. http://www.carolinajournal.com/articles/display_story.html?id=7387 (accessed June 29, 2012).

Link, Albert N. and Scott, John T. "The Growth of Research Triangle Park" Small Business Economics 20. 2003. p. 167-175. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~jtscott/Papers/00-22.pdf (accessed June 29, 2012).

Hardin, John W. "Chapter 2: North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park: Overview, history, success factors and lessons learned." from Pathways to High-tech Valleys and Research Triangles: Innovative Entrepreneurship, Knowledge Transfer and Cluster Formation in Europe and the United States .  Proceedings of the Frontis Workshop, Wageningen, The Netherlands, November 30-December 1, 2005. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wageningen University and Research Centre. 2007. http://library.wur.nl/frontis/research_triangles/02_hardin.pdf

North Carolina's Research Triangle Park: An Investment in the Future . Directed by John Wilson. 1999. http://vimeo.com/11199745 (accessed June 29, 2012).

Research Triangle Regional Planning Commission. Guides for the Research Triangle of North Carolina . [Raleigh, N.C.]: The Research Triangle Regional Planning Commission. 1960. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/guides-for-the-research-triangle-of-north-carolina/3598713

Research Triangle Regional Planning Commission. Research Triangle Region General Development Plan 1980 . [Raleigh, N.C.]: Research Triangle Regional Planning Commission, [1969?]. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/research-triangle-region-general-development-plan-1980/2347312

Image Credits:

Computer under construction at an IBM production facility in Research Triangle Park, 1984. Photograph by Billy Barnes. North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library.

Futuristic-looking office and research building completed in 1968 by the Burroughs Wellcome Company (and now owned by GlaxoSmithKline) during a period of rapid expansion in the Research Triangle Park. Photograph courtesy of the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina.

1 January 2006 | Williams, Wiley J.

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Boxyard RTP

Your Guide to Southpoint and Research Triangle Park

The Research Triangle Park (RTP), North America's largest research park, has positioned the Triangle as a dynamic place to live and work. Now, with a top super-regional mall and an emphasis on live, work and play, South Durham is more visitor-friendly than ever.

Investment in South Durham ramped up in the 1950s with the establishment of Research Triangle Park, providing careers for many graduates of the Triangle’s universities and spurring growth that continued as technology, research and biotech firms attracted engineers, scientists and other inventive professionals to the area.

Today, with walkable greenways, historic driving tours, global cuisines and history-making discoveries, these neighborhoods represent a core chapter in Durham’s growth. Read on to learn why SoDu is a thriving region well worth exploring, for shoppers, foodies and history buffs.

The Southpoint area is nestled between Highway 54 and Fayetteville Road to the north and Renaissance Parkway to the south and is anchored by The Streets at Southpoint, a sprawling indoor/outdoor mall. Given its convenient location near Interstate 40, this is one of Durham’s most active and populous neighborhoods.

Operating since 2002, The Streets at Southpoint’s brick facades and charming faux advertisements are a nod to Durham’s rich history in farming and finance. With a blend of locally-owned eateries, national department stores, a spacious food court and plenty of specialty shops, visitors to the mall will find it is much more than a run-of-the-mill shopping experience. A regular slate of street performances lends an extra layer of nostalgia to the visitor experience as crowds gather to enjoy live music, magicians, jugglers and dancers among the shops.

Several shopping plazas surround the mall, too, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for in the Streets at Southpoint, there’s more to explore a short drive away.

The Streets at Southpoint. Photo: Discover Durham

What do to Near Southpoint

Whether you’re looking to furnish your apartment, stock your fridge, find the perfect gift or update your wardrobe, The Streets at Southpoint and surrounding area has you covered. But first, be sure to fuel your day properly. Grab a coffee from Bean Traders (around the corner on Hwy 54 in the Homestead Market shopping center) a waffle from People’s Coffee (just across Highway 751 near Target), or a biscuit at Rise (or all three!) to power your shopping spree.

In addition to big retail names like Nordstrom, Belk and Macy’s, as well as furnishings resources like Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, West Elm and Restoration Hardware, several Triangle-based boutiques can be found throughout the mall and its surrounding plazas. Even if you don’t need a gift for someone else, it is nearly impossible to leave Light Years Jewelry or The Artisan Collective empty-handed. Treat yourself to a massage at Massage Envy or a pedicure at Noire Nail Bar, then check out the seasonal decor, snacks and drinks at Cost Plus World Market or pick up a bath bomb at LUSH for the ultimate self-care Sunday.

Bean Traders. Photo: Discover Durham

Need a break from shopping? Take a walk on the American Tobacco Trail , a 22-mile paved trail that follows the former American Tobacco Company’s railroad route (you can take it all the way from the vibrant American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham south into Wake and Chatham Counties). Or, unwind with a movie at AMC Theater 17 followed by quesadillas and margaritas at Los Tres Magueyes .

A short drive from the mall, the open-air produce market Perkins Orchard has been open for more than 50 years and features a killer daily deal: as much produce as you can fit in a bag for $25 (plus a bonus item like jam or a pineapple). Nearby in the Sutton Station shopping center, don’t miss Bua Thai for authentic sticky rice, crispy spring rolls and perfectly spiced curry dishes. Next door, The Wine Cellar offers weekly tasting events and a distinctive selection of wines from around the world. Top the night off with a gelato from Dulce Cafe or a giant slice of cake from Nantucket Grill .

What is the Research Triangle Park?

Geographically central to Duke University, North Carolina Central University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, this 7,000-acre research park is among the first of its kind and largest in the country, with more than 300 companies. Established in 1959, Research Triangle Park (RTP) has attracted tech giants like IBM, Cisco and Lenovo, government agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and biotech and pharmaceutical companies like BASF, GlaxoSmithKline and United Therapeutics.

RTP is also home to more than 100 startups at the Frontier campus. These companies are pioneering innovations in cancer treatment methods, sustainable building materials and more. The campus features a free (yes, free!) coworking space during the week and regular networking and educational events geared toward its burgeoning entrepreneurial community.

In the 60 years since its founding, RTP inventors have been awarded thousands of patents, and many of their discoveries remain in use today. For example, the UPC barcode was first introduced by IBM in the 1970s; the first HIV/AIDS treatment was developed in the 1980s at GSK, and LED lighting was launched by Cree in 1989.

Though most corporate campuses in RTP are closed to outside visitors, there are several opportunities to engage with this historic epicenter of research. A driving tour is an eye-opening experience that gives visitors a sense of the expansive nature of RTP’s land, the companies housed there and their vast research capabilities. A network of walking and biking trails lined with native greenery are also open to the public, and may inspire your next big idea.

Research Triangle Park. Photo: Discover Durham

Visitor Attractions in RTP

Once you’ve worked up an appetite from sightseeing, stop by Boxyard RTP to try out some locally grown businesses. Composed of a few dozen upcycled shipping containers, the unique structure houses a handful of locally-grown eateries and shops, as well as regular live entertainment, an on-site dog park and plenty of space to unwind.

For lighter bites, try Meat & Graze charcuterie (they even have bark-uterie for four-legged picnic guests!) Or, appease your sweet tooth with fresh cupcakes and cookies from BuzzyBakes Bakeshop (bonus: both of these businesses are women-owned).

For something more filling, Lawrence Barbecue slings Texas-style brisket, and food truck success story Bulkogi has Korean-Latin fusion covered with bowls, burritos and quesadillas. The newest vendor is Leroy’s Taco Shop , specializing in 90s nostalgia and quesabirria tacos. In addition to its signature beers, Fullsteam Brewery ’s Boxyard location features unforgettable square pizza with farm-fresh toppings.

More of a wine or cocktail drinker? Pop into RTP Uncorked to find a new favorite wine, or head upstairs to Lagoon tiki bar for a classic tropical cocktail.

Guests enjoying the Pavilion at Boxyard. Photo: Discover Durham

Glasshouse Kitchen , RTP’s newest eatery, is located near the intersection of Cornwallis Road and Miami Boulevard, and as its name implies, provides natural light in spades thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides. The architecture mimics a greenhouse in a nod to RTP’s growing AgTech cluster, and inside, local food is celebrated on the plate.

Just outside RTP’s boundaries, near the intersection of Highways 54 and 55, are even more flavorful dining options to try. Weekday lunches don’t get better than Vit Goal Tofu , where authentic Korean meals are served with bountiful banchan, or KoKyu’s Na’Mean sandwich concept, whose Ko Faux Bahn will make even the most steadfast carnivores consider a vegetarian lifestyle. LuLu Bang Bang offers pan-Asian street food in a modern, relaxed atmosphere, too.

If you’re in the area over the weekend, be sure to grab breakfast at True Flavors diner before stopping by the South Durham Farmer’s Market at the Greenwood Commons shopping center. Next door, there’s a good chance The Glass Jug Beer Lab will have a keg tapping event, trivia night or food truck ready to enjoy. This family-owned spot began as a humble bottle shop before embracing its proximity to Research Triangle Park and brewing its own experimental beers.

Lulu Bang Bang. Photo: Discover Durham

Where to Stay Near Southpoint and RTP

After all that walking, kick your feet up at one of the area’s hotels. Near RTP and just four miles from RDU International Airport, the Sheraton Imperial was recently renovated and offers an onsite cafe and restaurant. If you’re staying near Southpoint, the Hilton Garden Inn is steps away from the mall and surrounding areas, and features a Ruth’s Chris Steak House on site. Also near Southpoint, Hyatt Place provides sustainable amenities like electric vehicle charging stations.

So, ready for your next cultural or culinary Durham experience? We invite you to look south.

About the Author <use xmlns:xlink=" www.w3.org ="" 1999="" xlink"=""> http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink " xlink:href="/svg/sprite.svg#bull">

Morgan Weston

Morgan is a North Carolina native who loves exploring the Triangle's diverse food, arts and craft beer scenes (with her two dogs in tow wherever possible).