5 ms·

Silicon Valley may be popular for innovation centers, but losing ground to Asia

20 points by muzz 10y ago

jimmywanger 10y ago
What exactly is the definition of an innovation center, and why are there so few of them in the world? There are only 7 in the silicon valley? That seems... suspect. And only 2 in Tokyo? This whole article puzzles me.
- saycheese 10y ago
  Counts in the report are for new "innovation centers" in 2016; sources and methods for compiling the list are not provided.
  - jimmywanger 10y ago
    So I'm not attacking you, but this article, without the sources and methods is basically useless? It might as well read "Silicon Valley may well be a 7, but Asia is on its way with a couple of 2s and 3s."
    - saycheese 10y ago
      Yes and no. For starters, download the report itself, which is linked to in the article. Next, it's true this isn't the best research on the topic, but unlikely you'll find better research too; if you do, post it and link to it from here.
    - dpandey 10y ago
      Exactly. The article focuses on something marginal (number of large companies starting an 'innovation center' aka a tiny office in Silicon Valley has come down). The title is misleading because it makes you think it's talking about Silicon Valley being left behind in innovation. What it actually talks about is 'large companies are opening more satellite offices around the world than in Silicon Valley in the last few years'. The appropriate response to this article is: 'so what? How does that matter?'
dpandey 10y ago
If you interpret the title literally, it's probably true. It's not something to worry too much about, however. Just like the rest of the world starting large universities has rarely had a negative effect on institutions like Oxford, Harvard or MIT, the rest of the world starting innovation center is unlikely to do much negatively to Silicon Valley. Starting an 'innovation center' and actually creating lots of innovative companies (including some really large ones) are not the same thing at all. In fact, just like IITs are a great feeder into MIT or Stanford, some of the best companies outside Silicon Valley have become a feeder for the SV ecosystem. I'm not saying it can't happen. I'm just saying quantity is not the same as quality, and quality innovation center is very hard to create without lots of quality people in all parts of the ecosystem.
- devoply 10y ago
  Silicon Valley has two major things going for it. Talent and money. Asians are intelligent and talented, if they were not they would not be pulling huge work loads in American univerisities. At this point they have lots of capital too as a result of the ascension of the economies in their respective countries. Your comparison of so-called elite universities is a false dichotomy, those work on different rules than technology. Technology does not recognize social status and all that other stuff. Technology belongs to no one and can be acquired by anyone with money and talent.
  - seanmcdirmid 10y ago
    Chinese have won plenty of Nobel prizes, just not when they were in china. It just isn't about aptitude, or even capital, but society has to be developed and free enough to let innovation happen. Where all the capital (human and financial) has accumulated (China), this simply isn't the case. We will continue to see young Chinese leaving for the west to realize their full potentials.
    - homarp 10y ago
      >society has to be developed and free enough to let innovation happen. see parallel discussion on "China invents the digital totalitarian state" - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13201926 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13201926
peter303 10y ago
Just like the death of Moores Law. Over 50 years and counting.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
vtange 10y ago
"The reason behind the abandonment of Silicon Valley, and even Europe, is due to the supply of talent in Asia." - sounds like a fancy way of saying "outsourcing".
sleepingeights 10y ago
Silicon Valley has nothing on Asia. In China's Silicon Valley, if you have an idea and comparatively far smaller bank roll, you can have a prototype of your idea at your desk within a week. Compare that to SV which is like a backwards feudal kingdom. The examples of "innovation" spouted now in SV are software and service frameworks, stuff like social networking and OS, and this stuff is backed by open source work performed by people from all over the world. In the big scheme of things today's Silicon Valley's so-called "innovation" is a big loser. edit: It makes sense that technologically capable countries pursue their own technological infrastructure rather than have to depend on and pay US corporations simply for the privilege. All Silicon Valley really provided was to "innovate" the traditional American business model and classism into their technological infrastructure.

20 points by muzz 10y ago

What exactly is the definition of an innovation center, and why are there so few of them in the world? There are only 7 in the silicon valley? That seems... suspect. And only 2 in Tokyo? This whole article puzzles me.

saycheese 10y ago
Counts in the report are for new "innovation centers" in 2016; sources and methods for compiling the list are not provided.
- jimmywanger 10y ago
  So I'm not attacking you, but this article, without the sources and methods is basically useless? It might as well read "Silicon Valley may well be a 7, but Asia is on its way with a couple of 2s and 3s."
  - saycheese 10y ago
    Yes and no. For starters, download the report itself, which is linked to in the article. Next, it's true this isn't the best research on the topic, but unlikely you'll find better research too; if you do, post it and link to it from here.
  - dpandey 10y ago
    Exactly. The article focuses on something marginal (number of large companies starting an 'innovation center' aka a tiny office in Silicon Valley has come down). The title is misleading because it makes you think it's talking about Silicon Valley being left behind in innovation. What it actually talks about is 'large companies are opening more satellite offices around the world than in Silicon Valley in the last few years'. The appropriate response to this article is: 'so what? How does that matter?'

dpandey 10y ago

If you interpret the title literally, it's probably true. It's not something to worry too much about, however. Just like the rest of the world starting large universities has rarely had a negative effect on institutions like Oxford, Harvard or MIT, the rest of the world starting innovation center is unlikely to do much negatively to Silicon Valley. Starting an 'innovation center' and actually creating lots of innovative companies (including some really large ones) are not the same thing at all. In fact, just like IITs are a great feeder into MIT or Stanford, some of the best companies outside Silicon Valley have become a feeder for the SV ecosystem. I'm not saying it can't happen. I'm just saying quantity is not the same as quality, and quality innovation center is very hard to create without lots of quality people in all parts of the ecosystem.

devoply 10y ago
Silicon Valley has two major things going for it. Talent and money. Asians are intelligent and talented, if they were not they would not be pulling huge work loads in American univerisities. At this point they have lots of capital too as a result of the ascension of the economies in their respective countries. Your comparison of so-called elite universities is a false dichotomy, those work on different rules than technology. Technology does not recognize social status and all that other stuff. Technology belongs to no one and can be acquired by anyone with money and talent.
- seanmcdirmid 10y ago
  Chinese have won plenty of Nobel prizes, just not when they were in china. It just isn't about aptitude, or even capital, but society has to be developed and free enough to let innovation happen. Where all the capital (human and financial) has accumulated (China), this simply isn't the case. We will continue to see young Chinese leaving for the west to realize their full potentials.
  - homarp 10y ago
    >society has to be developed and free enough to let innovation happen. see parallel discussion on "China invents the digital totalitarian state" - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13201926 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13201926

peter303 10y ago

Just like the death of Moores Law. Over 50 years and counting.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

vtange 10y ago

"The reason behind the abandonment of Silicon Valley, and even Europe, is due to the supply of talent in Asia." - sounds like a fancy way of saying "outsourcing".

sleepingeights 10y ago

Silicon Valley has nothing on Asia. In China's Silicon Valley, if you have an idea and comparatively far smaller bank roll, you can have a prototype of your idea at your desk within a week. Compare that to SV which is like a backwards feudal kingdom. The examples of "innovation" spouted now in SV are software and service frameworks, stuff like social networking and OS, and this stuff is backed by open source work performed by people from all over the world. In the big scheme of things today's Silicon Valley's so-called "innovation" is a big loser. edit: It makes sense that technologically capable countries pursue their own technological infrastructure rather than have to depend on and pay US corporations simply for the privilege. All Silicon Valley really provided was to "innovate" the traditional American business model and classism into their technological infrastructure.