Stanford Research Park

Stanford Research Park, often called SRP, was set up in 1951 by Stanford University and the City of Palo Alto. It was the very first university research park in the world. Today, it is home to more than 150 companies, such as Rivian, HP, Tesla, SAP, and Broadcom. In the past, famous companies like Steve Jobs' NeXT Computer, Xerox PARC, and Facebook also had offices there.

Many people think of Stanford Research Park as a very important place for Silicon Valley. It has helped create many new technologies and jobs, making it a key part of the area's growth and success.

Facilities

Stanford Research Park covers a large area of 700 acres and has many buildings filled with offices and workspace. It is located near some main roads in the area. As of January 2018, over 150 companies and many thousands of workers are based there. Some well-known companies include HP, Lockheed Martin, Rivian, Broadcom, and SAP. Tesla is the biggest company there as of December 2025. In 2016, the park helped bring a lot of money to the nearby city of Palo Alto and the larger area of Santa Clara County.

History

After World War II, Stanford University needed money but had lots of land. So, the university and the city of Palo Alto worked together to create a special area called Stanford Industrial Park in 1951. This place was meant for companies that do research and development, helping both the university and the city.

The first company to move in was Varian Associates in 1953. Later, Hewlett-Packard set up its main office there. Over time, more companies joined, and by 2018, there were over 150 of them. The area was renamed Stanford Research Park in the 1970s to show the strong partnership between the university and the tech companies. In 1991, Stanford created a special group to manage its properties, including the research park.