The surburban collection of companies, R on average, a Valley IPO launches every 5 days, minting 62 new milionaires every 24-hour period. Silicon Valley succeeds and endures so spectacularly, out-performing many other high-tech regions, because it has tapped into three fundamental energies which are univeral traits of individuals operating in free markets: the quest for knowledge, the drive for innovation, and the spirit of entrepeneurship. Yet although the original Silicon Valley continues its outstanding success, the conventional wisdom that there is only oneSilicon Valley and that all other successful technology regions of the world are inferior copies, can no longer be safely assumed. “Silicon Fen” in Cambridge, UK and “Silicon Island” in Taiwan, centered around the Hsinchu Science Park, also very effectively harness these univeral economic drives, as Harnessing the FIreshows with the effect of clarifiying a generally fuzzy comprehension of what makes Silicon Valley work. Harnessing the Firethus offers a valuable contribution to existing literature as the first contextual study of Silicon Valley. The book will also highlight the success stories of Cambridge and Hsinchu in the international mass market; owing to a lack of English language commentary, the Hsinchu phenomenon in particular has been overlooked in mainstream publication, despite its unique and unparalleled combination of local technology fermentation, and international entrepeneurism. Viewing Silicon Valley, Cambridge, and Hsinchu as distinctive – in terms of history, culture and purpose – but inherently similar- in terms of dynamics – versions of the same “Silicon Valley Model” brings important persepective to understanding the real position and likely future of advanced technology concentrations around the globe. A book that spotlights a high-tech region in England (rather than Germany) as the paradigm for Europe, and Taiwan (as opposed to Japan), will surprise many readers. High tech regions in Germany and Japan could still claim supremacy if the yardstick was not how a region’s dynamism reflects the Silicon Valley Way, but instead the raw size of the corporations that populate it. Yet German and Japanese advanced technology cluster economies, the once seemingly omnipotent powerhouses, have slipped when measured according to the new dimensions of knowledge, innovation and entrepeneurship. Whereas Cambridge and Hsinchu have harnessed these propensities superlatively well, to gain their standing together with the original Silicon Valley, as best in the class for new technology and growth in their respective corners of the globe; a premise sure to arouse controversy (and stimulate both sales and publicity), despite being thoroughly supported by hard research. To conclude, readers will take away a unique and contextual understanding of how Silicon Valley works, and more importantly, a proven, globally applicable method for harnessing the wealth generators of knowledge, innovation and entrepeneurship within individual organizations and regions as a whole.
Book Details:
- Author: Rob Koepp
- ISBN: 9780470667651
- Year Published: 2001
- Pages: 296
- BISAC: BUS000000, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS/General
About the Book and Topic:
The surburban collection of companies, R on average, a Valley IPO launches every 5 days, minting 62 new milionaires every 24-hour period. Silicon Valley succeeds and endures so spectacularly, out-performing many other high-tech regions, because it has tapped into three fundamental energies which are univeral traits of individuals operating in free markets: the quest for knowledge, the drive for innovation, and the spirit of entrepeneurship. Yet although the original Silicon Valley continues its outstanding success, the conventional wisdom that there is only oneSilicon Valley and that all other successful technology regions of the world are inferior copies, can no longer be safely assumed. “Silicon Fen” in Cambridge, UK and “Silicon Island” in Taiwan, centered around the Hsinchu Science Park, also very effectively harness these univeral economic drives, as Harnessing the FIreshows with the effect of clarifiying a generally fuzzy comprehension of what makes Silicon Valley work. Harnessing the Firethus offers a valuable contribution to existing literature as the first contextual study of Silicon Valley. The book will also highlight the success stories of Cambridge and Hsinchu in the international mass market; owing to a lack of English language commentary, the Hsinchu phenomenon in particular has been overlooked in mainstream publication, despite its unique and unparalleled combination of local technology fermentation, and international entrepeneurism. Viewing Silicon Valley, Cambridge, and Hsinchu as distinctive – in terms of history, culture and purpose – but inherently similar- in terms of dynamics – versions of the same “Silicon Valley Model” brings important persepective to understanding the real position and likely future of advanced technology concentrations around the globe. A book that spotlights a high-tech region in England (rather than Germany) as the paradigm for Europe, and Taiwan (as opposed to Japan), will surprise many readers. High tech regions in Germany and Japan could still claim supremacy if the yardstick was not how a region’s dynamism reflects the Silicon Valley Way, but instead the raw size of the corporations that populate it. Yet German and Japanese advanced technology cluster economies, the once seemingly omnipotent powerhouses, have slipped when measured according to the new dimensions of knowledge, innovation and entrepeneurship. Whereas Cambridge and Hsinchu have harnessed these propensities superlatively well, to gain their standing together with the original Silicon Valley, as best in the class for new technology and growth in their respective corners of the globe; a premise sure to arouse controversy (and stimulate both sales and publicity), despite being thoroughly supported by hard research. To conclude, readers will take away a unique and contextual understanding of how Silicon Valley works, and more importantly, a proven, globally applicable method for harnessing the wealth generators of knowledge, innovation and entrepeneurship within individual organizations and regions as a whole.
Silicon Valley is one of the most talked about yet least understood phenomena of the late twentieth century, and embodies what is both thrilling and mysterious about the technologies revolutionizing the way we live and work. Silicon Valley began in the US but as a business model has spread worldwide; it is even less well understood as a global phenomenon. Aside from the public’s general interest in the subject, a book about the “Silicon Valley’s” of the world has immense readership potential because it also analyzes and explains such popular topics as the role of knowledge, innovation, and entrepeneurship in the global economy. IT and biotechnology, the main Silicon Valley industries, are major worldwide business sectors – the impact of IT in particular is felt in all business spheres. Producing a book about how the Silicon Valley model helps cultivate these industries illuminates important trends that will be shaping business in the future. The Silicon Valley model – a consistently, extraordinarily successful method of business incubation – offers a new way of thinking for business, the public sector and academia. Harnessing the Fire will challenge assumptions, dispel myths, enlighten, incite controversy, inspire, and generally provoke though. It will use hard data and probing analysis to illustrate how the Silicon Valley model offeres concrete applications for a wide spectrum of readers, mainly for those in business but also for members of academia and government.
Readers will take away a unique and contextual understanding of how Silicon Valley works and, more importantly, a proven, globally applicable method for harnessing the wealth generators of knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurship within individual organizations and regions as a whole. * Includes geographical coverage that strikes a chord with the world’s three major markets: the U.S., the EU, and Asia. * Features captivating stories of success to inspire readers. * Offers a practical “model” that other industries can copy to inspire their own development of knowledge and spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.
About the Author
ROB KOEPP is a director of the strategy consultancy, Intercedent Asia, and Adjunct Professor of the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, California. A globally active manager, consultant, educator, and writer, he has led marketing and technology development projects in and between the US, Asia, and Europe and advises a variety of organizations in the private and public sectors. He lectures frequently on the topics of innovation management, international entrepreneurship, and global business strategy. His written and spoken commentary appear in The Economist publication Business Asia, Dow Jones’ Far Eastern Economic Review, and Oxford Economic Forecasting’s International Industry Report, among others. A former Thomas J. Watson Fellow, he holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge and a BA from Pomona College in Claremont, California.