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Where is Europe's Silicon Valley?

posted by martyb on Sunday June 21 2015, @10:42AM   
from the on-the-other-side-of-the-mountain dept.

kaszz writes:

The New York Times has a story that delves into a conundrum faced by Europeans: Why are there few, if any, technology companies from Europe with the size and reach of American tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple?

The article hypothesizes that, even though employment regulations and other business and legal factors play a role, it's actually deeply-embedded cultural differences that are the primary cause, citing less aversion to risk-taking, less stigma from business failures such as bankruptcies, little or no stigma from leaving and rejoining a company which is seen as disloyal in European cultures, more acceptance of disruptive innovation, and a less rigid educational system that allows individuals to find their own form of success.

(Considering the many indications that US schools now train for tests, not knowledge, perhaps alternatives to school are more attractive.)

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Original Submission

• Motorsports Valley(Score: 4, Informative) by carguy on Sunday June 21 2015, @12:08PM

  by carguy (568) on Sunday June 21 2015, @12:08PM (#199041)

  It's not Silicon Valley, but England has "Motorsports Valley",
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorsport_Industry_Association [wikipedia.org]
  > Around 4,500 companies in the UK are involved in the motorsport industry, with an annual turnover of around £6 billion, with more than half being exports. It spends 30% of turnover on research and development. There are around 25,000 qualified engineers involved in the UK industry.

  This article suggests that there are spinoffs to other sectors as well,
        http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/motorsport-valley-in-northamptonshire-is-bucking-the-economic-trend-1-4568259 [northamptonchron.co.uk]
  > A fast-growing number of these outstanding UK manufacturers are expanding, by exploiting their assets to the full, and diversifying into new markets such as mainstream automotive and defence. Transferable skills from motorsport include rapid prototyping, lightweight, low carbon and energy efficient solutions, which are in high demand.

  A 2014 study suggests that it's even larger (perhaps by including more supplier companies?),
        http://www.coventry.ac.uk/primary-news/study-shows-midlands-9-billion-motorsport-valley-continues-to-thrive/ [coventry.ac.uk]

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+2
  Informative=2, Total=2
  Extra 'Informative' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		4