BMW in 2005 opened its 84,000- sq.- ft. (7,804- sq.- m.) Information Technology Research Center on the CU-ICAR site in Greenville, S.C., where it will employ more than 300 in research and testing.

   Upon completion, CU-ICAR will house five "technology neighborhoods," Clemson's 95,000- sq.-ft. (8,825- sq.-m.) Carroll A. Campbell Graduate Engineering Center, Timken Corp.'s powertrain headquarters with 110 workers, a 1,350- space parking garage, a variety of retail shops and restaurants, and a natural ecosystem with streams, trees and other wildlife.
   Timken has invested $18 million into its 117,000- sq.-ft. (10,869-sq.-m.) re-search center; Michelin has contributed $3 million toward an endowed chair and an associated laboratory. Other major investors include IBM, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, Clemson, the state of South Carolina, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Furman Co. and Duke Power.
   Greenville-based Furman is developing two 71,000- sq.-ft. (6,596- sq.-m.) buildings that will house future R&D tenants. Both will begin construction late this summer.
   CU-ICAR has three goals: establish world-class facilities for automotive and motorsports research; provide masters and doctoral programs in automotive engineering with a focus on systems integration; and become a key interface between academia and private industry. The master plan estimates that CU-ICAR will have anywhere from 2.8 million sq. ft. (260,120 sq. m.) to 3.67 million sq. ft. (340,943 sq. m.) upon buildout.
   Bob Geolas, executive director of CU-ICAR, emphasizes that the complex is "not a business park. It is not an office park. It's not even a traditional research park. It's a new generation university research campus for automotive and motorsports innovation."
   The word Geolas uses to describe CU-ICAR is "technopolis," meaning an advanced research and technology community. The project is "about people – students, faculty, scientists, technologists, visitors and friends," said Geolas. "It is partners, industry, government and university working together."
   Charged with the responsibility of bringing the development of multiple high-tech facilities together is Boyette, the real estate director for the entire complex.
   "The mission is to be the premier automotive research center in the world in a very urban type of setting," Boyette says. "The goal is to create iconic buildings that will all be LEED Silver certified."
   Boyette says the project has another purpose: "It will serve as a regional economic development magnet for manufacturers that come to the area. This fits into the long-term strategy of economic development for the whole state."
   In fact, there have already been negotiations with other auto manufacturers, says Mason Ailstock, associate director of real estate for CU-ICAR. "We are planning a second IT center on site, the Computational Center for Mobility Systems, thanks to a Sun Microsystems donation," Ailstock says. "There is nothing comparable to CU-ICAR anywhere in the U.S. It is unique."