Leading Innovation

MCNC has been a leader in innovation since its inception in 1980 and serves as the catalyst for technology-based economic development throughout North Carolina.

In 1985, MCNC was one of the first organizations to create a statewide Research and Education Network, NCREN, which supports the entire technology ecosystem of high-functioning Internet and network connectivity throughout the state of North Carolina. A student anywhere, anyplace, anytime can be online while at school or at a library, so researchers and healthcare professionals can discover the next great innovation or medical discovery, and local economies can thrive with an educated and connected workforce. MCNC owns and operates the backbone to innovation in North Carolina.

Access to the Tools You Require

MCNC provides the essential bandwidth and network connection required for the world’s best idea creators. MCNC delivers a level of connectivity that gives great minds the ability to do amazing things utilizing high-performance computing, cyber tools for analysis and collaboration, or data management solutions. To further expand the tools you require, MCNC has membership to Internet2, which operates the nation’s largest coast-to-coast research and education network. Access is available to its high-speed network, critical for large-scale research, involving massive amounts of data and teams from multiple geographic locations. MCNC has a 23 year history with Internet2, becoming a member in 1997 and hosting the first Internet2 Day in 1998. This longstanding collaboration enables MCNC to provide additional tools and services for North Carolina.

Spotlight: Community Innovation Steered by MCNC

MCNC has allocated dedicated fiber to the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), one of North Carolina’s hidden gems at UNC-Chapel Hill, that develops and deploys advanced technologies to enable research discoveries and practical innovations. MCNC provides high-speed and reliable connectivity for RENCI to other high-performance research networks, and therefore a worldwide community of researchers. Researchers at RENCI and its partners are currently working to build a platform called FABRIC, to provide a nationwide testbed for re-imagining how data can be stored, computed, and moved through shared infrastructure. RENCI is in the process of finalizing facility designs, deployment plans, and acceptance procedures for FABRIC. They plan to begin hardware prototyping and software implementation in 2020.

Capacity and Services You Need

MCNC’s network, NCREN, is engineered to have virtually unlimited capacity to keep pace with bandwidth demand. We offer unmatched value in base network connectivity services as well as advanced services and technologies to create value and growth for researchers and businesses. It is these kinds of activities that attract science and technology companies to the state as well as high-paying jobs.

Foundation for Innovation

We have dedicated fiber for the exclusive use of researchers who want to build and test the foundational equipment that will support the next-generation Internet in a real-world environment.

MCNC is responsive to the needs of its clients by providing value-added services and connections that not only support but enhance innovation in North Carolina.

MCNC’s expertise and NCREN’s capabilities are the foundation for innovation in North Carolina, and we will continue to drive the rapid exploration and development of innovations in science, engineering, technology and much more in the years ahead.

Enabling revolutionary discoveries

For 40 years MCNC has been a leader in the state, providing unparalleled services and support for innovation.

History

Case Studies

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Case Study: RENCI

Case Study: PARI

Case Study: NC SCI

Connecting North Carolina Advancing Our State Creating SolutionsLeading Innovation