Cummings Research Park
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Cummings Research Park, located primarily in the city of
Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...
is the second largest research park in the
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and the fourth largest in the world. It is one of the world’s leading science and technology business parks, with a mixture of
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companies, local and international high-tech enterprises, U.S. space and defense agencies, thriving business incubators and competitive higher-education institutions. CRP is the home of 300 companies, more than 26,000 employees and 13,500 students. The Park's major industries are
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,
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,
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
,
biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
, advanced
manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...
,
software development Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development invol ...
,
information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
and
cybersecurity Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, the ...
. Cummings Research Park was voted as the Most Outstanding Science Park in the World in 1997 by the Association of University Research Parks and in 2017 The Park was presented with the Developing Communities of Innovation award.Huntsville Chamber of Commerce - CRP History
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History

In 1961, Milton K. Cummings, then president of Brown Engineering Company, and Joseph C. Moquin, his later successor, selected a tract of undeveloped land on the western edge of Huntsville for building a new headquarters. Located adjacent to land that had recently been acquired by the
University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
for developing a Huntsville Branch and within a few miles of major Army and NASA development centers on
Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal (RSA) is a United States Army post and a census-designated place (CDP) adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The Arsenal is a garrison f ...
, this area was ideal for establishing a high-technology research park. Cummings and Moquin, with the support of rocket pioneer
Wernher von Braun Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun ( , ; 23 March 191216 June 1977) was a German and American aerospace engineer and space architect. He was a member of the Nazi Party and Allgemeine SS, as well as the leading figure in the develop ...
, proposed that the City of Huntsville zone the area as a research park district. In 1962, the City established this zoning, with 3,000 acres of land officially designated Huntsville Research Park. Brown Engineering (later
Teledyne Brown Engineering Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is an American industrial conglomerate. It was founded in 1960, as Teledyne, Inc., by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky. From August 1996 to November 1999, Teledyne existed as part of the conglomerate Al ...
) was the first to build in the park, opening its campus the inaugural year. As America rushed into the space race, other companies quickly followed; these included giant national firms such as Lockheed, Northrop, and IBM, smaller outside firms wanting to open Huntsville operations, and a number of newly organized local enterprises. In parallel with the growth of industry occupants, the adjacent academic campus also matured; in 1970, this became the
University of Alabama in Huntsville The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is a public research university in Huntsville, Alabama. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and comprises nine colleges: arts, humanities & social science ...
(UAH). The UAH Foundation owned a large portion of land in the research park district, and served as a major promoter of development. When Milton Cummings died in 1973, the district was renamed the Cummings Research Park (CRP). By the end of the 1970s, the development of what is now known as CRP East was nearing completion. In 1982, the second major phase of CRP was launched with the planned development of CRP West. A substantial new parcel of land, exceeding 800 acres, was purchased and a master plan was established by the City of Huntsville. This new phase strengthened the development restrictions on the park, rivaling, and in many instances exceeding, the quality of planned research and development parks anywhere in the world. The City of Huntsville has continued to acquire land for future growth of CRP, and it is now approaching 4,000 acres. In 2007, a major retail and hospitality destination was added to the park. Bridge Street Towne Center is home to many restaurants, shops, 3 hotels, a movie theater and a 240 luxury apartment development. In 2015 and 2016, CRP underwent a comprehensive master planning process to ensure another 50 years of success.


References


External links


Cummings Research Park page
at Chamber of Commerce of
Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
/ Madison County {{Coord, 34.723702, -86.6477726, display=title Economy of Alabama Science parks in the United States High-technology business districts in the United States Huntsville-Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area Business parks of the United States Geography of Huntsville, Alabama