Why Chapel Hill?
Our college town, your boomtown
The innovation hub is located within the heart of the downtown Chapel Hill innovation district – directly across the street from the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. As an entry point to the wider downtown district, the hub’s location in Chapel Hill gives you a powerful mix of advantages that you won’t find elsewhere.
Quick Facts: Chapel Hill
No. 1 coolest small city in America
(The Guardian)
No. 1 school district in North Carolina
(Niche)
No. 3 best city for entrepreneurs
(Entrepreneur Magazine)
No. 4 most educated town in America
(WalletHub)
Top-five national healthcare brand and provider
(UNC Health)
One of America’s best foodie towns
(RewardExpert)
A transformed downtown. Primed for industry and innovation.
The Junction sits in an entrepreneurial epicenter – in the middle of Chapel Hill’s growing innovation district and next door to Carolina’s labs and classrooms. You'll find expansive new development, flexible offices and coworking in the heart of a transformed downtown.
A unique innovation district
The only innovation district in the U.S. immediately adjacent to a top-five public university.
An educated, science-focused workforce
77% of the area's workforce holds a bachelor’s degree or higher.
An active downtown partnership
Collaborative efforts bolster Chapel Hill via marketing, business support and community building.
A rapidly growing Research Triangle
Home to 17 colleges and universities and more than 7,000 companies in agtech, cleantech, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and tech.
Parks, greenways and open spaces
Plenty of natural areas and green spaces for recreation, exercise, and a healthy work-life balance.
A vibrant arts community
Creative cultural energy with scientific and technological discoveries.
Downtown Innovation District Timeline
UNC Innovation Hub. Co-working, private offices, startup accelerator, innovation services. (2023)
Downtown Parking Center. 1,100 convenient parking spaces in new structure built by the town. (2023)
University Gateway. UNC visitor center, admissions office, student collaboration area, retail space. (2024)
Life Sciences Center. Wet labs with workspaces and equipment for biotech firms. (2025)
Professional Apartments. New community with luxurious and affordable urban living. (2025)
Hotel and Conference Center. Destination for personal and professional travelers. (2025)
Home to UNC-Chapel Hill
UNC-Chapel Hill’s innovative roots run deep. As the first public university founded in the United States, Carolina was a startup in its own right. And over the years, its faculty and students have continually sparked many other firsts.
- Conducting the nation's first geological survey.
- Discovering calcium carbide, which made the production of acetylene gas possible.
- Developing the first hemophilia therapy.
- Opening the world's first university-based planetarium, the training ground for dozens of astronauts.
- Developing the first computer 3D interfaces.
- Broadcasting the first online radio station.
Quick Facts: UNC-Chapel Hill
No. 5 public university in the U.S.
(U.S. News & World Report)
No. 6 most innovative university in the world
(Reuters)
No. 13 largest research university in the U.S.
(UNC Research)
$1.16 billion in sponsored research annually
(UNC Research)
450 active UNC startups in 31 NC counties
(Innovate Carolina)
$19.1 billion in startup funding raised
(Innovate Carolina)
1,061 U.S. patents issued
(Innovate Carolina)
1,617 technologies licensed
(Innovate Carolina)
A research and innovation powerhouse
Today, the University’s research portfolio is one of the broadest and deepest in the world – with top-tier rankings in life sciences, social sciences and health sciences. Carolina is a place where innovators – including two Nobel Prize winners – abound.
As the University’s central innovation team – Innovate Carolina – we understand that research and ideas aren’t meant to stay in labs or classrooms. Through the innovation hub, we work with our faculty, students, corporations, citizens – and you – to move ideas, discoveries and intellectual property into the world. Our innovators are taking the lead in many areas: gene therapies, cancer treatments, autism care, traumatic brain injuries, and HIV cure efforts, to name a few. They’re also finding new ways to protect the environment, provide clean water and promote social justice.
The impact of Carolina’s innovative efforts are many: new products, services and companies that create jobs, revenue and healthier lives for people in our communities.