Research Triangle Park is Alive with Wildlife

Research Triangle Park is home to over 38,000 full-time employees in over 170 diverse companies.  Most people are aware of its regional importance for research and development and its importance to North Carolina.  One thing people may not be as aware of is the flourishing wildlife within the Park.  In addition to the 38,000 employees, hundreds of plants and animals call the 7,000 acre campus home and coexist within RTP.

Male Bluebird in RTP

The Research Triangle Park is home to over 40 bluebird boxes, 8 duck boxes, 4 bat boxes, 2 purple martin houses, and this does not include the various boxes other companies have on their private campuses.  The boxes can be found all over the park off pedestrian trails we they are easily accessible. These houses provide homes for the unique and important species within the Park.  The wildlife box program has been active within the Park since 2005 and has helped shelter hundreds of birds and mammals since then.  Other than the wildlife box program there is also a butterfly garden within the Park at the RTP headquarters, a tree ID trail off of Davis drive, and an ongoing Park wildlife inventory.

Male and Female Bluebird

The main emphasis throughout the wildlife programs at this time of year is on wildlife boxes, notably the bluebird boxes.  Currently there are 40 bluebird boxes throughout the Park which are all available for adoption by RTP employees.  Employees adopt a Bluebird box (es) and monitor the boxes over the breeding season, from late March to August.  All of the data collected on nesting and reproductive habits is then collected and sent to NestWatch through Cornell University.  Cornell uses this data to look at reproductive success and species movement and work to develop better wildlife management for the birds.

Eastern bluebirds experienced a sharp decline in populations from the 1920s to 1970s due to pesticides and other manmade disturbances.  Since then bluebird box programs across the nation have worked amazingly well to bring back populations.  The story of the bluebird’s re-establishment is such an interesting success story, not only for the bird’s recovery, but also for the fact that it was primarily citizens who have worked to bring the birds back and not a specific agency or organization. Read more »

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.

Year in Review: RTP Expansions

RTI's Building O9, opened in 2011

It’s certainly been an eventful year for the Research Triangle Park.  There’s a lot we could talk about: grant funding and capital infusion, conferences and events, a new CEO for RTP.  But one of the most exciting topics has been growth and expansion over the past year. In 2011, over 750,000 sq.ft. of  new office and industrial space was announced by various Park companies. Several of these projects are now well into the construction phase, or even complete. Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s been going on in 2011:

In September, Fidelity Investments purchased a group of four office buildings on NC Highway 54 formerly occupied by Nortel Networks. Fidelity is renovating the 676,000 sq.ft. of space, and will then consolidate its regional operations into one campus. This one purchase will go a long way towards reducing vacant space in RTP and rejuvenating its building stock.

Medicago held the ribbon cutting for its new $42 million, 97,000 sq.ft. facility in November. Breathing new life into North Carolina’s heritage, Medicago will produce influenza vaccines developed using tobacco leaves. Their cGMP facility has the capacity to produce more than 40 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine or 120 million doses of pandemic influenza vaccine per year.

RTI International, our flagship research institute, held its grand opening for Building O9 in April. The office facility is a 127,000 sq.ft. companion to Building O8, completed several years earlier. Both facilities have been certified LEED Gold. RTI is now looking into opportunities to develop greenhouse space and a biocrude pilot production plant, either in RTP or nearby.

Syngenta Biotechnology is reinventing a site on Davis Drive that was home to one of the Research Triangle Park’s first buildings. Read more »

Dreams of the Big Time

by Ed Hutchins (guest blogger)

Employees of Research Triangle Park companies are, to generalize, not the most athletically gifted people.  While many of us competed in sports at the grade school, high school, or even college level, we’ve been hired because of what we can do with our brains and our hands, not for what we can do with a ball.  But that doesn’t stop us from dreaming of what it would be like to be a professional athlete, competing under the bright lights on a perfectly manicured field in front of throngs of cheering fans.  For many RTP softball players, this dream became reality last month when they got the chance to compete in the RTP World Series, hosted by the Durham Bulls at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Held since 2009, the RTP World Series takes place near the fourth week of September, after the Durham Bulls have finished their postseason play.  It was conceived as a way to promote a greater bond between the Durham Bulls and local companies.  It is a logical connection.  The Bulls play baseball, and Research Triangle Park has a co-recreational softball league that represents 44 companies and boasts close to 800 participants.  Yes, there are mutually beneficial business reasons why a company would choose to sponsor its softball team in the tournament.  And from the perspective of a player, who wouldn’t want the opportunity to play on the beautiful field of the DBAP?

Eisai batter at home plate.

Because of the business and personal appeal of the tournament, it has grown each year.  In 2009, there were 5 participating teams.  In 2010, there were 8, and in 2011, there were 12.  As a result, the format of the tournament has changed each time it’s been held.  This year, there were two divisions of 6 teams.  In round-robin style, each team played 4 other teams from its own division.  The two teams with the best records in each division advanced to a division championship game, and the winners of the division championship faced off for the overall championship.  The champion then got to take home the big prize, an impressively large perpetual trophy that, in Stanley Cup fashion, is engraved each year with the names of the victorious team and players.  After a year of display and well-justified bragging, the championship trophy is then returned for the next year’s competition. Read more »

Call for RTP Guest Bloggers

Research Triangle Park Headquarters

A big thank you to everyone that has been reading The RTP Blog recently. We have been working hard to create posts that are interesting and relevant to the RTP Community and have been thrilled with the feedback we’ve received.  The energy and enthusiasm from those in the RTP community is contagious and we love being at the center of it all!

We at the Research Triangle Park Foundation recognize that we aren’t “all knowing” and that there are many events and exciting projects going on in the Park that we aren’t aware of.  So, we’ve decided to create a guest blogger series, where we will post articles from bloggers in the RTP community about RTP-based startups, expansions, innovations, and RTP news.  If you are interested in becoming a guest blogger or have news you would like to share with others in RTP, please email communications@rtp.org and we will send you additional details and guidelines.

Giving Back to the Future… 320 Times

Three hundred twenty.  It’s the maximum determinant of a 10 x 10 matrix of 0′s and 1′s… but more importantly, it’s the number of stuffed backpacks that Community Outreach@rtp collected during its annual RTP Back 2 School backpack and school supply drive.  And most importantly, it’s the number of students in Durham and Wake counties that may have otherwise started the school year off without a complete set of essential school supplies.

Volunteers enjoyed stuffing backpacks with donated supplies.

The annual campaign invites employees in The Research Triangle Park (and others) to donate school supplies and backpacks just in time for the back to school rush.  Working in conjunction with Communities In Schools of Durham and Communities In Schools of Wake County, these much-needed supplies are distributed to students in both counties, and will make a difference in the lives of not just 320 students, but also in the lives of their family members, friends, and teachers.

In addition to the completed backpacks, numerous additional supplies were provided to CIS of Wake County and CIS of Durham to help supplement their continued efforts year round.

Read more »

Bridging the Gap

Have you ever been prescribed a drug or therapy that didn’t seem to agree with your system?  Or diligently taken your medicine but experienced no improvement in your condition?  I’ve certainly dealt with this before, and after I finish feeling annoyed with my doctor, I wonder why on earth someone hasn’t figured this out yet!

In fact, many people ARE figuring this out – it’s called companion diagnostics.  And lucky for us, the folks at bioMONTR, a start-up in RTP’s Park Research Center, are making progress in our backyard.

Read more »

Coming to the Neighborhood: Wake Technical Community College

Wake Tech RTP Campus

Over 90 business leaders from across the region gathered at RTP Headquarters this week to hear a presentation on the new campus of Wake Technical Community College. Wake Tech, as we commonly call it, is a thriving institution now preparing to establish their 8^th major location which will be on RTP’s doorstep. For a region that prides itself on educational capital, and for an economy that is in need of transformation through workforce development, this couldn’t come at a better time.

Speakers at the presentation included Dr. Stephen Scott, President of Wake Tech, and Jay Smith of O’Brien Atkins Associates, serving as Master Planner. Dr. Scott gave an informative overview of Wake Tech’s network of campuses, emphasizing that it is a rare opportunity to design a new campus from scratch. Although with the college’s burgeoning demand for classes, he has now had that privilege twice in his career as president. Attendance at Wake Tech is over 65,000 students per year. About two-thirds of those students are enrolled in continuing education courses, and around 15,000 already have a bachelors degree or higher. This past fall, there were nearly 10,000 students on waiting lists because the classes they needed were full. Lifelong learning is certainly alive and well!

Dr. Stephen Scott, President of Wake Technical Community College

In 2008, Wake Tech purchased 86 acres of undeveloped land in Morrisville. The site offers a blank slate for the new RTP campus, oriented towards continuing education and technology training. This strategic location is at the intersection of 540 and NC 54, in the heart of Perimeter Park, and within a 5-10 minute drive for anyone in the Research Triangle Park.

Once developed, Wake Tech will have a greater capacity to partner with corporate clients in RTP and develop customized course offerings for their employees. The attendance and engagement at Tuesday’s event clearly shows the interest on the part of RTP companies in leveraging such partnerships. Donna Rhode, Vice President, Centers of Excellence of Cisco Systems Global Sales Operations, was one of the participants who praised the efforts to connect the local workforce with the development needs of RTP companies. As she points out, a technologically-skilled workforce is a key factor in attracting and retaining companies, here in the Research Triangle Park and across the region.

Donna Rhode, Vice President, Centers of Excellence of Cisco Systems Global Sales Operations

Although Wake Tech has always been a commuter school, they do pay close attention to designing true campuses. The RTP campus will be no different. The intention is to cluster buildings around gathering spaces, rather than parking lots. Through structured parking and careful land management, the RTP campus will be designed with walkability and community in mind. All facilities will be LEED Certified, as has been Wake Tech’s practice across the board in recent years.

New learning facilities that meet the demand of students and businesses, all in an attractive and sustainable setting. How soon will this get here? Master planning and stakeholder engagement will continue throughout the summer. A bond referendum is expected in Spring or Fall 2012. Dr. Scott’s goal is to hold the first classes at the RTP campus in 2015.

An exciting aspect of Tuesday’s session was the rich and active discussion that followed the core presentation. Attendees offered numerous suggestions on what type of programs should be offered at the Wake Tech RTP campus. Many were in keeping with the strengths of RTP’s industries: Biotechnology, Software, Gaming, Clean Tech. Other ideas were based on locational advantages: Aviation, considering the proximity to RDU; or the resources that the RTP campus itself will offer: Green Building, Ecosystems.

Further discussion revolved around potential facilities and other possible partnerships. Public meeting facilities, for example, were a popular idea for encouraging collaboration among business and education groups. Teacher certification and K-12 enrichment programs would be an excellent means to integrate our educational institutions. And on-site services such as child care, dining and recreation could further enhance the student experience.

Wake Technical Community College will continue to engage students, faculty, local officials and the general public in its master planning process. If you have input of your own for the new campus, whether it concerns campus design or course offerings, be sure to leave your comments below.

It Is Here! New Website Announcement

We are proud to announce the release of our newly redesigned website for the Research Triangle Park (RTP). By updating our main site, www.rtp.org, we’ve been able to improve navigation, connect visitors with events happening in and around the Park, and provide enhanced education and decision tools for companies locating in the Park.

• Choose RTP. 27709. It’s the zip code that built the Research Triangle region and helped to cultivate growth and create a strong community. In this section, you’ll learn more about our industries, the Triangle Region and the established network of support organizations and infrastructure to grow and establish your business, our accelerator and incubator spaces and information about our available sites and buildings.

 

• Park Life. Get connected @RTP. Centrally located at the heart of the Triangle, learn more in this section about programs and events, recreational spaces and wildlife. Or take advantage of our community town hall and host your next business meeting at our conference center.

 

• About RTP. With a rich history in innovation, the Research Triangle Park’s creation remains one of the most transformational public-private partnerships in national history. Get news on company expansion plans and job creations, a listing of the 170+ companies located in the Park, information on our partners, and updates on our Master Plan.

 

• Want to learn more about who’s located in the Park? The @RTP 2011 Company Directory is now available for purchase. The directory provides greater company details as well as a pull-out map by company location and industry. Complete the Contact Us form to order.

 

• Looking for jobs? With over 170 companies located in RTP – from prominent Fortune 100 multi-national operations, university spin-outs and start-up businesses in more than a dozen pioneering industries, we’ve partnered with the North Carolina Technology Association and the NC Biotechnology Center to promote job opportunities.

The New RTP Website

Take a peek! And while you’re there, take some time to complete our Contact Us form and tell us what you think. We’re constantly striving for new and improved ways to connect with you.

There are other ways to stay in-touch and informed about Park happenings.  Check out theRTP blog. Or follow us on twitter @theRTP.

Meet Marvin: Not your typical RTP worker

RTP's Marvin

In the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a series of books by Douglas Adams, Marvin, one of the series’ major characters, is a robot who has a “brain the size of a planet” and struggles to find ways to engage his vast intellect. RTP has its own “Marvin” who until he was shipped off to compete in the next First Robotics Competition called Park Research Center his home. (For those of you that aren’t familiar with Park Research Center or “PRC,” you can read more about it in this post).

RTP’s Marvin is the creation of a talented group of high-school students known as Team 2059 or “The Hitchhikers.” While I can’t speak for Marvin, from what I’ve seen, the Hitchhikers team has no problem putting their intellectual capacity to use.

(in center, Team Co-Leader Alex Surette)

Since October 2010, the group has been using Park Research Center as its launching grounds. They began building Marvin in January from a standard “kit of parts” and a common set of rules. They had six weeks to create a robot that can hang inner tubes on to pegs hung at different heights. Once the tubes are arranged to form the First Robotics logo (how’s that for branding???), the robot must then deploy minibots, small electro-mechanical assemblies that are independent of the host robot, onto vertical poles and attempt to “climb” 10 feet.  Check out the video at the bottom of this post of Marvin in action!

In addition to being a great group of people who are passionate, enthusiastic, and incredibly smart, the Hitchhikers are a great example of why STEM education is so important – and how it can be fun. (See some great stats on the importance of STEM from RTP’s own NC STEM Collaborative)

In preparing for the game and building Marvin, they learned about design-build engineering, CAD programming and imagery & animation. They also learned key concepts of running a business from marketing and fundraising (they had to raise their own sponsorships) to creating an organizational structure to ensure all tasks get done. Mix in project management, decision making and problem solving skills and they’ve got the leadership skills that will serve them well as they leave high school. (I don’t know about you, but the concept sure beats the random science and math team competitions I participated in as a teenager!)

RTP has been honored to join the other sponsors of the Hitchhiker’s team and looks forward to cheering them on to victory at the NC Regionals April 8-9 at the NC State Fairgrounds in Dorton Arena! See you there.