The Story of North Carolina's Research Triangle Park with Mack Paul
New Books in Science, Technology, and Society

The Story of North Carolina's Research Triangle Park with Mack Paul

B2Upper-intermediateSeptember 25, 20261 hr 11 min
  • Interview

Research Triangle Park in North Carolina (RTP) emerged under the unique circumstances of a poor Southern state that needed to find a way to offset the declining industries of tobacco, furniture, and textiles in the 1950s. Through the sustained commitment of nearby universities, business leaders, and local and state officials, state leaders established the largest science and research park in the United States in an area that was nothing but “possums and pines.” Miracle Road: The Story of Research Triangle Park (Duke University Press, 2026) tells this story through the eyes of those at the center of it, like the local bl...

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Welcome to the New Books Network. I'm Caleb Zaccran, CEO and publisher of the New Books Network. Today I'm speaking with Mack Paul, co-author of Miracle Road, the story of Research Triangle Park with Alan Paul.

0:15

North Carolina is home to some of the world's best universities and most technologically advanced companies. While it doesn't get as much attention as its West Coast counterpart, Silicon Valley, Research Triangle Park is a major global hub for innovation.

0:28

How did a poor state with a struggling economy built on tobacco and textiles transform itself into a place that attracts many of the world's best scientists and researchers? The story of Research Triangle Park points to how communities can reinvent themselves and remain competitive in a quickly evolving world.

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