RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK (September 22, 2026) – There are a number of places, people and things that define North Carolina’s story – barbecue, college sports, Cheerwine. However, almost no one would understand the relevance of a small, rectangular punch card.
In its newest feature, “North Carolina in 50 Objects,” Our State tells the state’s story through things made, used and treasured here. At number four sits the IBM punch card, which writer Susan Ladd presents as the object that brought North Carolina into the computer age and a symbol of Research Triangle Park (RTP)’s growth into a globally recognized research hub.
Founded in 1959, RTP aimed to diversify and synergize North Carolina’s economy, which largely depended on tobacco, textiles and furniture, leading university graduates to leave the state to find job opportunities. Government and industry leaders worked together to find a solution, purchasing 200 parcels of undeveloped land between Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to establish RTP as a place where research, industry and innovation could thrive.
While early years were defined by only a few tenants, a turning point came with IBM’s announcement of a 600,000-square-foot research facility in 1965. By the end of the decade, 21 companies had research facilities in RTP. These companies went on to develop groundbreaking medicines, AstroTurf and the modern rectangular Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode.
Since then, the Park has only continued to attract leading companies and top talent. Today, nearly 400 companies and more than 55,000 employees work in RTP, spanning industries such as technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing. It is now an economic engine for the state, generating an estimated $25.1 billion in annual economic value.
In 2015, the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina (Foundation), steward of RTP, turned that same IBM legacy toward RTP’s next chapter, retrofitting a former IBM campus into Frontier RTP, the community-driven coworking and office campus in RTP. What began as a single testing ground for collaborative, flexible workspace now houses roughly a third of the Park’s companies, a beacon for entrepreneurs and startups building the Park’s next generation of discoveries.
The evolution of the Park accelerated under the leadership of Scott Levitan, who joined the Foundation in 2017 as president and CEO. Levitan envisioned a plan to build community and keep RTP globally competitive in attracting and retaining talent. Over the course of nine years, the Foundation shifted RTP from a traditional research park into a “live-work-play” destination through additions such as:
- Boxyard RTP, the Park’s experiential dining and retail destination built from repurposed shipping containers. Boxyard RTP is a place where coworkers and community members can meet, eat, connect and unwind year-round. The space is a champion of up-and-coming concepts, serving as a launchpad for local small businesses.
- Hub RTP, the Park’s vibrant, 100-acre downtown district. The development introduced the Park’s first mixed-use space, transforming the heart of RTP into a walkable, more connected destination. Hub RTP also welcomed the Park’s first-ever residents with MAA Nixie, further advancing the Foundation’s “15-minute” city concept.
- RTP 3.0, a 50-year land-use framework, officially approved in June 2026, opens the Park to new development opportunities. RTP 3.0 sets the course for RTP’s next half century, allowing companies to modernize campuses and pave the way for mixed-use nodes and residential neighborhoods.
RTP is a place where the brightest, most curious minds gather and groundbreaking discoveries take place. Its strength has never been solely its land or buildings, but rather the concentration of talent and collaboration that has come to define the Park. The punch card may represent a defining moment in the Park’s history, but RTP’s story is still being written, and we can’t wait to see how it evolves.
To read the full article, visit https://www.ourstate.com/north-carolina-in-50-objects/