Research Triangle Park
Encyclopedia
The Research Triangle Park (RTP) is a research park
in the United States. It is located near Durham
, Raleigh
, and Chapel Hill
, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina
. A small part of the Park stretches into Wake County, but the majority of the land is in Durham County
.
centers in the United States
. It was created in 1959 by state and local governments, nearby universities, and local business interests. Karl Robbins bought the land where the park is now built.
The park is 7000 acres (2,833 ha) situated in a pine
forest
with approximately 630 acres (255 ha) for development. The park is an unincorporated area
, and state law prohibits municipalities from annexing areas within the park.
As of 2007, the park included over 130 R&D
facilities, with more than 39,000 employees working for a total of 157 organizations. The park is adjacent to Interstate 40
and the Durham Freeway. It is managed by the Research Triangle Foundation, a private non-profit organization.
The park is home to the second largest IBM
operation in the world, dwarfed only by India
; the company has around 11,000 employees in RTP. The park hosts one of GlaxoSmithKline
's largest R&D centers with approximately 5,000 employees.
Research park
A Research park is a research facility that is often linked with a major research university. Throughout North America, there are more than 170 research parks. They exist to create linkages between the university, industry and the community...
in the United States. It is located near Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, and Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. A small part of the Park stretches into Wake County, but the majority of the land is in Durham County
Durham County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 223,314 people, 89,015 households, and 54,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 769 people per square mile . There were 95,452 housing units at an average density of 329 per square mile...
.
Overview
It is one of the most prominent high-tech research and developmentResearch and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
centers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was created in 1959 by state and local governments, nearby universities, and local business interests. Karl Robbins bought the land where the park is now built.
The park is 7000 acres (2,833 ha) situated in a pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
with approximately 630 acres (255 ha) for development. The park is an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
, and state law prohibits municipalities from annexing areas within the park.
As of 2007, the park included over 130 R&D
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
facilities, with more than 39,000 employees working for a total of 157 organizations. The park is adjacent to Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
and the Durham Freeway. It is managed by the Research Triangle Foundation, a private non-profit organization.
The park is home to the second largest IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
operation in the world, dwarfed only by India
IBM India
IBM India is the Indian subsidiary of IBM. It has facilities in Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Gurgaon, Noida, Chandigarh, Indore and Hyderabad....
; the company has around 11,000 employees in RTP. The park hosts one of GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
's largest R&D centers with approximately 5,000 employees.
Companies and institutions in or near the Research Triangle Park
Universities
- Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
- North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
- North Carolina Central UniversityNorth Carolina Central UniversityNorth Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
- Skema Business SchoolSkema Business SchoolSKEMA Business School is a school created by the merger of two French schools, CERAM Business School and Groupe ESC Lille in 2009. The school's name stands for School of Knowledge Economy and Management. The school offers bachelors, masters, MBA, doctoral and executive education programs in China,...
- University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
See also
- The TriangleThe Triangle (North Carolina)The Research Triangle, also known as Raleigh-Durham and commonly referred to as simply "The Triangle", is a region in the Piedmont of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by North Carolina State University, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and cities of...
External links
- Research Triangle Park Web site
- Research Triangle Regional Partnership
- North Carolina's Research Triangle Park: An Investment in the Future UNC-TV documentary commemorating RTP's 40th anniversary, produced by John Wilson and narrated by Carl Kasell of NPR News