Downtown Raleigh Skyline. Photo Credit: Flyboy Photo & Media.

Inc., a national outlet focused on innovation news, outlines ‘Why Raleigh Will Be the Next Startup Hub.’ NC State’s Centennial Campus, its industry partnerships, and entrepreneurship assets, are cited in the city’s rise as a top startup hub.

“NC State’s Centennial Campus, just west of downtown, looks and feels like Silicon Valley. The Hunt Library is stunning. More importantly, this campus is one-third residential so that Raleigh can always manage for growth and future potential traffic issues with fewer long commutes.

The NSA has offices in this campus. Bandwidth, a publicly traded company that supplies voice and messaging tools for Google, Skype, and Athena, is also on campus.

Another company, Republic Wireless, is launching a new cellular walkie-talkie called Relay for kids and parents. ‘Being in Raleigh actually gives us an advantage, given how family-centric this area is and how many young children there are here,’ said Chris Chuang, co-founder and CEO. ‘Our ‘market test lab’ is literally all around us.’

This access to large companies, talented students, and residential living—all in one place, five minutes from downtown—propels growth for the region.

Not to mention, NC State’s entrepreneurship programs ‘provide an early pipeline for students to grow their ideas,’ said Leah Burton, director of the university’s Centennial Campus Partnerships and Industry Alliances. ‘Our partnerships with both early-stage and global companies enable the creation of new products, companies and jobs.”