The Growth of Research Triangle Park
Posted: 1 Dec 2009
Date Written: 2003
Abstract
"Research Triangle" refers to the geographic area defined by Duke University in Durham, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Within the Triangle is the Research Triangle Park, a well defined area of 6,900 acres within which there are over 137 organizations with over 41,600 employees. Of these, 104 are research companies with over 40,000 research employees.Using the historical growth of Research Triangle Park as a framework, an analytical model to characterize the Park's growth is developed. It is hypothesized that the observed pattern of growth within the park and the appearance of a new research company adopting the park's innovative environment can be conceptualized in terms of adopting an innovation. Using data pertaining to the net number of research companies in Research Triangle Park and the time of their arrival, a mathematical Gompertz survival–time model of diffusion depicting the adoption of the Park environment by research companies is developed. It is concluded that the successful growth of the park can be attributed to entrepreneurial leadership that the park has enjoyed since its inception.Some important attributes of entrepreneur leadership are then highlighted. (VRS)
Keywords: Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Research organizations, Research parks, Regional development, Innovation process
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