An agreement with Sealed Air Corp. to lease temporary research and development space at the PORTAL Building advances UNC Charlotte’s standing as North Carolina’s urban research institution, University officials stated.
It also is a tangible illustration of the University’s commitment to foster partnerships with private industry.
On Monday, the University and the company announced the partnership, which calls for the University to house the company’s research and development personnel for 18 months or longer. The arrangement provides temporary work space for the company’s researchers while a permanent facility is being built in Charlotte.
Best known as the maker of Bubble Wrap, Sealed Air has been around since 1960. The product now makes up only 2 percent of the company’s sales. The company also makes food packaging, packing foam, medical packaging and other products. In 2014, the company generated revenue of approximately $7.8 billion. Sealed Air has approximately 24,000 employees who serve customers in 175 countries.
Sealed Air is currently building a state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable campus in Charlotte that will become the headquarters for its divisions, research and development facilities, and corporate offices. The new campus is scheduled to open at the end of 2016.
“Our agreement with Sealed Air is a great example of the value we offer to our R&D partners,” said Bob Wilhelm, vice chancellor of research and economic development. “Companies like Sealed Air come for the R&D environment, the talent and easy entry and access to our facilities, services and infrastructure. We have top quality facilities that our partners can immediately move into.”
Robert Tatterson, vice president of research and development for Sealed Air, added: “One of the reasons Sealed Air is moving to Charlotte is its strong reputation for technology and innovation. In addition to allowing us to house newly hired and specially selected R&D staff, PORTAL provides an ideal collaborative workspace conducive to continuing our research and development work while construction on our new facility is completed.”
The four-story, 96,000-square-foot, PORTAL Building sits on a prominent site at the entrance of the Charlotte Research Institute campus. The facility was designed to stimulate business growth and job creation along with promoting research and innovation. There is nearly 30,000 square feet of office space available for companies who want to locate on campus.
Sealed Air is the type of company the University wants to attract to the Charlotte Research Institute campus, Wilhelm said.
“In the next year, we expect that Sealed Air employees will have the best of both worlds,” he said. “They can continue their R&D efforts at PORTAL in a controlled environment as they do at their other locations. At the same time, they can connect daily with our talent, set new research agendas, access our facilities, and recruit our students by simply walking across the hall or across the street.”