Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill: This trifecta of cities known as the Research Triangle has been at the forefront of research and innovation since the mid-1950s. With Google recently announcing that 1,000 jobs will be moving to Durham, is this a precursor for the Triangle to become at the forefront of the tech industry?

  The Triangle has approximately 2 million residents with more and more flooding in each year. Over the past 20 years prestigious universities, job opportunities in Research Triangle Park (RTP), and the ideal weather has brought many folks into the Triangle. With this in mind, Triangle residents see promise in a computer science career.

  “I will most likely end up working in RTP if I pursue a computer science degree.” Sanderson junior Thomas Powell explained, “Mostly because it’s so close to home.”

  With an exact number of 135,301 employees, there is no doubt that Google wields the power to make the Triangle even stronger when it comes to the tech industry. Although Google may make the area known for tech in the long run, many other industries such as medicine and cosmetics are also leaving their mark on RTP.

  “I have never personally thought of a job in computer science,” Spartan junior Dolan Weaver stated. “But I do find jobs in the RTP to be interesting and would definitely consider a job there.” 

  A very heavy influence on the success of RTP is, of course, the three universities surrounding it: North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One can only think of the effect that a Google Cloud hub in the middle of these three universities can do not only for the students, but for the communities around them as well.

  Although a small Google Hub may seem to not make much of a difference, the changes it can bring are monstrous. Google claiming its spot in RTP may be the first of many big announcements to come. Just like the way Silicon Valley started, one tech giant starts and the rest follow suit.

  At the end of the day, Google putting a considerable amount of jobs in the Research Triangle may benefit the tech industries in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill significantly, but also the colleges surrounding RTP. We will just have to wait and see what this big move can do to our economy here in North Carolina.