Ouch, Ms. Daisy! That hurts. Surely, Mr. Cameron can dream and he can call on the powers of his government to try to bring this to pass. He can also direct some resources towards the realization of this dream. Yet, I can't but see your point. He cuts and plans to cut more from the budget and then floats a dream that will require more spending. It's hard to square all these up but somehow he must try and bring it to pass now that the program has been announced.
Anna, Cameron's announcement of his government’s intentions to introduce immigration and investment policies to attract investors to Shoreditch needs to be backed with concrete plans of how he will harness the potentials in the universities in the area. Also where and how is he going to get investors in this time of cut backs and uncertainty.
Silicon Valley has its quality of life issues, among them a significantly inflated housing market. The British government's initiative indeed presents a challenge with regard to this. Still, Silicon Valley's access to Stanford grads is definitely a competitive advantage.
Even if Mr. Cameron does not accept that he is challenging all the "Silicon Valleys" by trying to establish a rival system in London, they certainly know when they are being called out. This is good for the entire electronics supply chain, though. The creation of all these high-tech cities offers each country and region the opportunity to contribute immense talents and resources to the pool, which will benefit everyone in the long run.
Britain's planned high-tech city won't replace Silicon Valley or derail the plans being implemented by officials from Asia to Eastern Europe and South America. It will make it clear, though, that the West is not going to roll over and let others believe it has no role anymore to play in the supply chain.
Stochastic, The Detroit auto-city example you gave is correct and frightening considering what's happening to that part of America today. It makes me wonder if Silicon Valley in California might become less important to the high-tech world once more of the design, manufacturing and fulfilment functions migrate elsewhere, perhaps to East London, New Delhi or Shenzhen. If all these other centers expand their role in the electronics design, supply and financial systems, then we should expect some not-so positive impact on the original Silicon Valley. Perhaps British prime minister Cameron didn't see it this way but I believe he just challenged the ongoing viability of the original Silicon Valley.
The creation of clustered industrial centers has historically been beneficial to the industries concerned. Take early 20th-century Detroit and the Pacific-rim automotive sectors.
Whether instituted by industrialists or bureaucrats, these types of initiatives have led to the growth of educational institutions oriented to industrial goals. This raises the level of technical literacy in the geographic region where the industrial activity is taking place. There's no doubt this is a desirable goal for any national policy.
Politics is not about helping people, but self promotion, so once politicians start talking about technology and initiative, you just know its going to be another 'lame duck', with loads of photo opportunities, and touchy feely sessions.(can I have my arm back please)
The future is space, drive the space initiative and all other technology will be boosted including consultancy and especially 'supply chain' companies, the Earth would then just become another part of the supply chain.
Since space is a reasonably new 'field' you could afford to be really inventive as regards tax, start with only a few % for businesses deeply involved in space technology, for example exploration, travel, holidays, mining and distribution.
Leave them alone and see what they come up with, guaranteed if you offer the incentives they will find the best areas to do business(look at Branson at Virgin), but a warning.....
if they are not left alone, then you only need to look as far as Hong Kong and the government initiative they call the "cyber port" to see the result of what happens when politicians think they know what the world of technology requires.
Getting to the root of the problem will explain it clearly why it will not be possible to create a silicon valley in London. I do not think there is any people living in london who can live a great life if they are engineers or working in electronics manufacturing. If USA them selves losing out jobs in the electronics compared to the asians it would be difficult to create any impact by UK. So I would suggest UK should encourage the exisitng european companies to expand the business globally.
What the British Prime Minister is advocating is more than just output from universities. He wants research in universities coupled with actual design, production and high-tech financing. I'll have to agree with him on that. Research is good and it provides the seeds for tomorrow's great products but it must go together with real world practice. London already has great universities and research institutions but it is losing to other centers that can combine academia with practical business enterprise.
I'm not sure if Cameron is hitting it right. If london has to become next silicon valley then what does the current one will be. Electronics and Information technology may not be as powerful as before to generate any employment in London. But cameron should encourage innovation from the universities and allot more funds as US government did for the research of alternate and renewable energy.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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