A Home for RTP’s Founding Universities

Archie K Davis

If you drive down T.W. Alexander in the Park, you’ll likely see signs noting that you’re on the TUCASI campus. While the acronym isn’t immediately discernible, TUCASI stands for The Triangle Universities Center for Advanced Studies, Incorporated and was the first model through which RTP and the Research Triangle Foundation sought to strategically support the founding universities — Duke, UNC-CH and NC State — and to ensure they had a permanent home in the Park.

TUCASI was the brain-child of Archie Davis, one of the Park’s founders. Mr. Davis was the person who went around the state in 1958-59 and convinced citizens and companies from all 100 counties in North Carolina to donate funds toward the creation of an economic development strategy that would ultimately become RTP. Mr. Davis was also committed to the idea that what makes RTP special is our relationship with the founding universities. He wanted to make sure they always had a place in the Park and that the Park/Foundation could continue to support collaboration among the three.

Summer already?

For most, February 13 is a day to confirm dinner reservations or take advantage of express, overnight shipping to ensure Valentine’s Day goes off without a hitch. For some parents in the Research Triangle region, February 13 — at least for this year — marks the date on which many summer camp registration sites open.

Luckily, for the “science attentive” and/or their children, there is a range of options for making productive use of summer vacation while learning how to put science into practice….& many close to RTP.

In full disclosure, this is not an inclusive list by any means — it’s a bit Durham/Chapel Hill centric since that’s where my commuting trail places me and geared toward the elementary school years since that’s where my family’s demographic lies. Carolina Parent has an awesome directory that covers the entire region (and non-science oriented camps).  Check it out for a more complete picture of all the region has to offer.

• Morehead Planetarium: For those who attended the Food Truck rodeo last week, this is old news, but…the Planetarium will be expanding its traditional options held at UNC with a new camps just outside RTP at Kestral Heights (very close to the Hwy 54/55 intersection just west of RTP). Options include subjects ranging from dinosaurs, aquatic life, bodies in motion, the Magic Treehouse, LEGO, and rocket science.
• Duke School: While not all of the Duke School programs are science oriented, they do take the school’s tradition of project-based learning to a new level of fun. Science-oriented camps include dinosaurs, a science Olympiad challenge, an ipad apps Bootcamp, a CSI forensic science track, one focused on building LEGO Mindstorms NXT Robotics systems, one that looks at science in action, and even a space camp for the younger set (ages 4-5).
• Museum of Life + Sciences: ML+S also has two campus options to choose from — the museum itself near Northgate in Durham or at Rashkis Elementary School in Chapel Hill. Their offerings include an Eco Science one that lets students look at food chemistry, what’s involved in LEED building and recycling. Others involve oceanography, leveraging the wildlife that lives at the museum to explore farm animals and more, and even one that lets campers know what it’s like to run a museum. (Registration is still only available for members at this point, but will open to the general public on February 22).
• Marbles Kids Museum: For those in Raleigh, Marbles has an extensive schedule of possibilities. In addition to several of the above tracks listed, they have a magic one (which gets a gold star for name creativity - Abra-Kid-Dabra), an inventors challenge that includes exciting team projects, games and team-building exercises, and a science sleuth one that looks at common “myths” through hands-on science fun (hmmm, future Mythbusters in the making).

What Drives RTP Companies?

One of the greatest assets of RTP is its companies. With more than 170 of them employing more than 38,000 full-time workers, they range from the 1-2 person start-ups to campuses with thousands. They represent a vast array of cutting edge technology that works to resolve some of the world’s most pressing problems or to create the next best app/device/tool to increase productivity in a range of disciplines. In short, they all do pretty neat stuff.

Recently, as I was trying to get a sense of industry trends and issues most critical to our companies,

I found blogs by the leaders of two of RTP’s
I’ll be on the look out for other examples, but in the meantime, here is a glimpse of what GSK and  Cisco see on the horizon:companies that give a sense of the challenges facing their companies and their ideas to address them.

• GSK’s Triple Solution: The first is a blog that Deidre Connelly, GSK’s President, Pharmaceuticals NA posted for the British American Business Council. Within the blog, she notes  GSK’s approach to prevention, intervention and innovation to help the people of the world “do more, feel better, and live longer.” She references an article by GSK CEO Andrew Witty in which he discusses how the company — and entire industry — must better “harness intellectual diversity and unleash creativity” to develop drugs more efficiently but also its need to apply that ability to innovate to reconsider its business model.

• Using the Network to Drive Innovation: In this blog post/video, Cisco CEO, John Chambers suggests that mobility and connectivity will push content and drive innovation. He also notes the importance of bringing together diverse groups to tackle today’s and future problems. Nothing how smart networks have fundamentally changed the way people live — not only how we work and play, but how we address issues like healthcare and how we collaborate to innovate and discover more. He notes how innovation must be enabled by technology and operational excellence if it is to be effective.

Biogen Idec Plugs In

The buzz around plug-in electric vehicles has been livelier than ever in North Carolina, and RTP is certainly becoming a hub of activity for the technology.  RTI unveiled two new electric vehicle charging stations back in November, and just this past Tuesday,  Biogen Idec held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for ten new electric vehicle charging stations at its RTP campus.

Back in November, I had the opportunity to participate in Biogen Idec’s multi-day Sustainability Fair for employees, and got a chance to hear about the exciting work they were doing to bring these charging stations to fruition and procure funding incentives to encourage employees to purchase or lease electric vehicles.  On Tuesday, Biogen Idec’s work paid off, and they cut the ribbon for their new stations, the first for any of their worldwide locations.

Biogen Idec purchased the charging stations with support from the Carolina Blue Skies Initiative, a project led by Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), with $12 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.  Biogen Idec has the distinction of being the first organization in the Triangle to successfully deploy electric charging stations under this initiative.

Biogen Idec installed ten Level 2 charging stations at their RTP Campus.

Pat Hoy was one of the four employees that took advantage of the incentive provided to Biogen Idec employees through Advanced Energy to purchase a Nissan Leaf.  He received a $7500 stipend to offset the purchase price and will also receive a $7500 tax credit.  Speaking briefly at the ceremony, Pat mentioned that one of the greatest benefits of owning a plug-in electric vehicle is that it allows him to bypass the gas station.  “I haven’t been to a gas station in three and half weeks since I’ve owned the car… There aren’t too many other people that can say that.”  He also highlighted some of the technological benefits, such as being able to remotely pre-cool the car’s interior using his smartphone (as long as the car is plugged in).   Read more »

What the Future Holds for Gen Z

When the Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State was established twenty years ago, the idea was to “put ideas into action and to ensure the state’s future success.” In the preceding years, the annual Emerging Issues forum has brought to light issues and changing dynamics that potentially create greater opportunity for North Carolina’s continued competitiveness or pose challenges to that vision. Through the forums, the state’s leadership and citizens have examined issues ranging from tax policy to creativity and from energy and the environment to healthcare.

This year’s forum promises to be equally thought provoking. On Monday and Tuesday of next week, people from around the state will gather at the Raleigh Convention Center to listen to insights into the challenges that face Gen Z — that cadre born between 1990-2000 who have come of age not knowing what life before Google was like and who (as reported in a recent Cisco poll) would rather lose their purse or wallet than their smartphone device. (And many of whom — I would wager– wouldn’t know what I am referring to when I note that Obi Wan looks a lot different with brown hair in the current Star Wars movie….).

The conversation will force baby boomers and Gen Xers to think through ways to better integrate this upcoming generation into our workforce and will look at trends that will have significant impacts on the skills that they need — and may not need — to realize their goals.

Speakers from around the country include Robert Safian, Editor, Fast Company Magazine, Sally Jewell, President & CEO, REI, Ami Dar, Founder & Executive Director, Idealist.org, Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, U.S. Navy, and Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University (I’m especially interested in President Crow’s comments; I’m a former Sun Devil (employee) and was living in Phoenix when he began transforming ASU into the New American University).

In addition, some of our best local thinkers — including former Governor Hunt, Mike Walden, Madhu Beriwal, Chancellor Woodson, President Ross,  and Ted Zoller — will be featured, as well as a great representation from the state’s high schools, community colleges and university system.

And most fun of all, IEI will award its Prize for Innovation during the conference. This year’s prize challenged both college and high school teams to come up with innovative ideas to increase North Carolina’s high school graduation rate. Videos of the finalist candidates are online. Voting started Monday and will close Monday, Feb 6 at 5 PM.

Registration closes this afternoon. If you weren’t able to sign up to join the discussion and fun, no worries — they’ll be live-streaming many of the talks. (And I’m sure #NCGenZ on Twitter will be busy).

Finally — kudos and thanks to Diane Cherry, Anita Brown Graham and all of the IEI staff for pulling together such a great program.

CED on The State of the Entrepreneurial Economy of North Carolina

1,800 companies started.

40,560 jobs created.

$7.7 billion in capital invested.

This is the impact that entrepreneurs have had on the state of North Carolina in the past 20 years.

The “Starting Something: The State of the Entrepreneurial Economy of North Carolina, 1992-2011” report was presented last week at CED‘s Annual Meeting held at RTP Headquarters.  The data for the report was collected by, Maryann Feldman and Nichola Lowe, who are both professors at UNC-Chapel Hill, First Flight Venture Center, an RTP-based incubator, and CED.

Another important finding of the study is that the jobs created by these start-ups have stayed in North Carolina, which is key to the economic growth of the state.  Furthermore, while a majority of the VC funds that have invested in these start-ups are based in the Southeast, there have been investments made from international funds, as well as those based in Boston, NYC and California.

CED took on this initiative both to show the importance of entrepreneurs in our overall economy, but more importantly as a reminder of the various players and ingredients our region’s economy depends on to remain competitive.

At RTP, a central theme of our mission is to serve as an economic driver for the State of North Carolina and the Triangle Region.  It’s interesting to see the role the larger, more established companies in our region play — both as the sources of innovation and new companies and also as end-users or acquirers of some of the new ideas. We are proud to see these great innovators in the Triangle creating a thriving entrepreneurial community that is catching the attention of the nation.  This is what RTP is all about, folks.

For the presentation from CED’s annual meeting, click here.

For the press release, click here.

Envisioning RTP for Future Generations

A guest blog post by Bob Geolas, the new President & CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation

The Research Triangle Park in 1959

Growing up in North Carolina, I have always believed that our state was special, capable of achieving “big things” and destined to play a leading role on the global stage. It does not matter whether you were born and raised in North Carolina or moved here from somewhere else, we all seem to share this confidence in our state.

To me, this comes from our great Research Triangle Park and its history. A bold, even risky, proposition fifty years ago, North Carolina announced its intentions to build a cutting-edge research park in a scrub-pine forest in a state that ranked 49 out of 50. Despite all the challenges, it worked.

Today, RTP stands as a global brand, an innovation hot spot and economic engine for our country. Now, it is time for us to think big again for RTP and North Carolina. Throughout this year, we will begin launching a new development plan.

A vision for the Research Triangle Park of the future

This plan will embrace four principles:

• RTP should be highly collaborative – a place that brings people together in new dense, urban centers with amenities and services.
• RTP should be authentic to North Carolina -  representing modern design and quality work and living spaces.
• RTP should be inspiring - representing the excitement of the future in science, technology, arts and humanities.
• RTP should be accessible – affordable to new technology companies and those looking to grow and expand.

This will be an exciting time for our great Research Triangle Park and I am honored to represent such a special place. I hope you will join us as we begin to launch our next fifty years and the continued promise that is our destiny.

The Research Triangle Park: Plans for the Future

As most people know from past blog posts here, here, and here, the Research Triangle Foundation has been working diligently to ensure RTP is as ideal a home for innovative R&D companies in the next fifty years as it was in its first fifty years.  WRAL interviewed our new CEO, Bob Geolas, yesterday regarding our plans for the future of the Research Triangle Park.

As Bob very succinctly summarized in the video, ”RTP has played a transformational role in North Carolina. It’s going to continue to do that, and we’re excited about its future.”

We look forward to sharing more about the changes envisioned in the coming months.

Good Vibrations – Innovation@rtp

Dr. Lane Miller, VP Global R&D, LORD Corp was the speaker at December 14th's Innovation@rtp event.

What do HAL DHRUV active vibration control systems, rubber to substrate adhesives, jet engine isolation systems, low-odor adhesives, UK-60 rod ends, highly resilient elastomers, and V-22 elastomeric bearings have in common? Well, besides being things for which I have no understanding, they’re all innovative solutions developed by pioneering employees at LORD Corporation.

Headquartered in Cary, LORD Corporation is the leader in the development and implementation of computer controlled systems for managing dynamic loads and motions for vehicles and aircraft. Now, LORD linear and rotary controllable damping technology is implemented on cars, trucks, marine craft, spacecraft, and civil structures worldwide.

On December 14^th, the Innovation@rtp speaker series was delighted to host Dr. Lane Miller, VP Global R&D for LORD Corp with a presentation entitled, “Active Control Solutions for Vibration and Motion (with a Soliloquy on Innovation).” While Dr. Miller gave us some fascinating insight into what his company does (including sharing some fun videos of Humvees on a test track), probably the most important aspect of the presentation was his take on the lessons they’ve learned and some best practices for accelerating innovation.

Dr. Miller's humorous example of someone being inventive, but not very innovative.

One of Dr. Miller’s key messages was to remind us that there is a difference between invention and innovation.  Invention is a clever or unique idea, while innovation deals more with converting technology into stakeholder value.   And often, it takes both of these things to produce results.

And while it’s just common sense to have the right people for the job, Dr. Miller went on to explain what that means in terms of innovation and his company.  He suggested looking for impatient technologists.  As odd as it sounds, it makes sense, because as he pointed out, combining a patient company with an impatient technologist produces results.  LORD Corp also looks for people that are more likely to adapt quickly to changes, more apt to champion someone else’s ideas, and can be introspective regarding their own weaknesses.  Finally, these problem solvers need to understand the business plan, and further, be willing to challenge that plan. Read more »

Generosity of Spirit

Earlier this month I had the privilege of representing the Foundation at the International Affairs Council Citizen of the World Award dinner honoring Geomagic’s Ping Fu.

Geomagic (@Geomagic) has always been a favorite RTP company of mine given its work to leverage technology to change the way things are envisioned and made and to revolutionize medical treatments.

I have also enjoyed following the career of Ms. Fu who is a role model for women in science and a national thought leader in what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and innovator. (She was also one of First Lady Obama’s guests at the 2010 State of Union address, is a member –with UNC-CH Chancellor Thorp – of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and has been a prominent figure with Start-up America Partnership).

But what struck me most about the dinner and Ms. Fu’s comments in accepting the award wasn’t so much the list of her accomplishments as a start-up and a leader in 3D imaging or that she was named a “Fast 50″ executive by Fast Company magazine and Entrebizneur of  the Year by Business Leader magazine. (Even the data points that Geomagic has attracted more than $8 million in capital from private and institutional investors, increased revenue by more than 2,000% during the last five years and has received millions of dollars in research innovation grants from NSF and NIST – while impressive – were not the most impactful.)

Rather, the message that Ms. Fu relayed — and the one I will remember for award dinners to come — was her emphasis on giving back. During her remarks, she described how after being “asked” to leave the People’s Republic of China, she came to this country to start anew. Unfortunately, the airfare to her final destination had increased, but thanks to the kindness of a total stranger who gave her $5 to make up the fare difference, she was able to attend an English as a second language program and begin her life in America…and a phenomenal career.

In her early endeavors and as she built Geomagic, she was guided by the idea that while the world is global, a company’s impact is first local. She stressed the importance that companies of all sizes give back to their communities and be an active part in them. In this vein, she noted Geomagic’s decision to expand and grow in the Research Triangle despite lower labor costs in other venues around the world for the talent the company needs. Echoing a quote she gave to an early news story announcing her role in the Start-up America campaign, that “It’s good will, and being a company that’s doing good things for society [that] will bring good things in return,”  she noted  how Geomagic is actively involved in all aspects of our regional community, from collecting unused soaps, shampoos and toiletries for the Durham Ronald MacDonald House to adopting a school to hosting school groups with an interest in engineering for an afternoon of 3D to
volunteering at Habitat for Humanity. They do this not because it’s a good thing to do, but because it’s the thing right thing to do.

Appropriately, she ended her comments at the IAC Dinner with the advice that when in doubt, we should all err on the “side of generosity.”

It struck me as more than a coincidence that she chose to use that term. Fifty three years ago, a group of visionaries were guided by the same principle in setting up the Research Triangle Park. As Professor Albert Link so aptly captured in his book detailing the founding of RTP – “A Generosity of Spirit” – the Park’s establishment was all about creating a highly ambitious “big bet” that served as a catalyst for aligning the region and state’s knowledge resources and business climate attributes to create jobs and opportunities for all of North Carolina.

As George Simpson (one of the first staff of RTP) noted, “There was a generosity of spirit that dominated from the beginning, and this was what enabled people to look beyond their own narrow interests for the benefit of the entire project.”

Whether creating a research park or providing the inspiration and passion to turn an idea into a start-up that has gained global recognition, the generosity of spirit lives on in the region. It’s what feeds the collaboration that fuels innovation…and what makes the Research Triangle such a unique place.