North Carolina received major news on Monday when the tech giant Apple announced it will spend $1 billion on a new campus in the Research Triangle Park.
The development comes as part of an effort by Apple to increase investment as the U.S. begins rebuilding from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement from the company.
“I’m proud to announce that Apple will build its first entirely new campus — an engineering hub — in the United States in more than 20 years right here in the Research Triangle Park,” said Governor Roy Cooper, speaking with the media on Monday morning.
The $1 billion investment from Apple is expected to bring 3,000 new jobs to the Triangle area in machine learning, artificial intelligence, software engineering and other fields. In addition, the campus is expected to bring $1.5 billion in revenue to North Carolina.
Cooper said he spoke with Apple CEO Tim Cook about the news, saying that the significant investment means the tech company is in it for the long haul in North Carolina.
“Tim Cook told me on Saturday with this announcement, Apple is showing that they’re just not creating jobs and building a new campus, they want to be a committed partner with our state for the longterm. I told him that we look forward to that partnership.”
With UNC as a key piece of the Research Triangle region, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz shared his thoughts on Monday as well, saying he was “thrilled and excited” to welcome Apple to the state.
“This is a huge win for our region and the state of North Carolina,” Guskiewicz said, “and I’m looking forward to the opportunities this provides our students and faculty researchers for years to come. Carolina will play an important role in preparing the workforce for Apple as a leading global public research university and will partner with Apple through strategic research initiatives.”
The UNC chancellor added the announcement of Apple’s arrival pairs well with UNC’s upcoming launch of a new data science initiative, which will be formally announced in the coming weeks.
UNC System President Peter Hans said UNC and other UNC System universities are “positioned to be the training ground for Apple’s future workforce.”
"We are delighted that @Apple will put down deeper roots in NC, a global leader in research, innovation, and higher education." – UNC System President Peter Hans
— UNC System (@UNC_System) April 26, 2021
Staff for the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, one of the top in the world, also shared their excitement, examining how the addition of Apple to the Research Triangle further expands how Carolina students can get involved with global companies.
Thanks for the comparison, @zeanes! Very helpful 😁
The RTP business ecosystem is successful and growing…
What a great time for the RTP, and for @unc and @kenanflagler students who seek great employment opportunities and what to stay in the local area! https://t.co/0hN7BRY6Us
— Claudia Kubowicz Malhotra (@claudiaKM) April 26, 2021
Part of Apple’s announcement on Monday is the company also plans to establish a $100 million fund to support schools and community initiatives. No timeline of the creation of the North Carolina Apple campus, its first on the east coast, has been shared.
Photo via Robert Willett.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.
My biggest concerns are how many of those jobs will go to local residents and what will be the product of the ongoing affordable housing crisis. These aren’t really issues for Apple but rather for the local politicians. I feel like these crisis and concerns have been sidestepped or generalized so much that this new transformation of the area may reveal deep rooted problems that will decimate a lot of the locals in the area.
Hey Charles, thanks for your comment. If you’d like, we’d welcome an opinion column about your thoughts on this subject: https://chapelboro.com/submit-opinion-column-viewpoints