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Everywhere free rides off the innovation produced by the United States. Everyone. I don't see why we'd be calling out Europe specifically, though perhaps there

Everywhere free rides off the innovation produced by the United States. Everyone. I don't see why we'd be calling out Europe specifically, though perhaps there are interesting introspections to be made there.

Tenoke 5y ago
It seems like the US gets a disproportionate amount of talent and resources from the rest of the world in return though. It's not like the US will do as well without that and it's to some extent just where the globalization/centralization benefits are paying off the most. The US also does have more resources and advances for its citizens so it looks to me like it's having a plenty good deal.
aliswe 5y ago
Because (western) europe seems to be a model group of countries out of nearly every aspect, IMHO.
hef19898 5y ago
That picture looks a lot different if you exclude web technologies, doesn't it? When it somes to hardware, again excluding consumer tech (where most tech is actually Asian), Europe and Japan seem to be, still, the front runners. Or how many micro chips would be made without German machinery? Or consumer tech without industrail robots. The US excels at marketing technology, as an over simplyfication I'll attribute that to an abundance of VC money and a hige one-language market.
- Ourgon 5y ago
  > Or how many micro chips would be made without German machinery? More than would be made without Dutch machinery, seeing how as ASML is a Dutch company, spun off from Philips, another Dutch company.
polskibus 5y ago
Innovation requires capital (human, financial, natural resources, etc.) capital requires strong economy, stability, etc. USA has all of it, moreover it can buy the lacking components with dollars. USA has been strengthening their global position for years, since fighting off the Great Depression. Their unique position is further strengthened by the fact that the dollar they control is used in international trade. There is no way to compete with that head on, in the best case Americans just pay people with more money or buy the company outright. Europe does not have massive oil, gas, ore reserves. Most of it is a federation of culturally very different nations. Capital is scarce in contrast to USA. It’s really much harder to find support when developing new products and services because an error can destroy your life or career - our bankruptcy laws are less forgiving. All of that makes copying much more attractive here - it is less risky in an environment that punishes you when the risk materialises worse than in USA.
- nceqs3 5y ago
  well put
- hef19898 5y ago
  What you say may be ttue for the classic startup kind of innovation, less so for scintific ground work, developments in large existing companies and so on. In terms of patents, Europe is pretty much among the global leaders. Did we forget were two of the earliest COVId vaccines came from? Which aeroapace giant is building the more advanced civilian planes? Whos building the better quality cars (besides pushing EVs, even Teslas build quality is nowhere near that of European or Asian manufacturers, nor are other US brands)?
  - nceqs3 5y ago
    The vaccines came from decades of NIH funded research and the US Govt's actions (in partnership with the private sector) during the actual pandemic.
    - hef19898 5y ago
      AstraZeneca came from Oxford (or was it Cambridge?), Pfizer from BionTech which was mainoy funded by the EU. Moderna was the US contender. That makes two of three that didn't come from the US, and I don't want to look up vaccination rates by vacvine per nation now.

Tenoke 5y ago

It seems like the US gets a disproportionate amount of talent and resources from the rest of the world in return though. It's not like the US will do as well without that and it's to some extent just where the globalization/centralization benefits are paying off the most. The US also does have more resources and advances for its citizens so it looks to me like it's having a plenty good deal.

aliswe 5y ago

Because (western) europe seems to be a model group of countries out of nearly every aspect, IMHO.

hef19898 5y ago

That picture looks a lot different if you exclude web technologies, doesn't it? When it somes to hardware, again excluding consumer tech (where most tech is actually Asian), Europe and Japan seem to be, still, the front runners. Or how many micro chips would be made without German machinery? Or consumer tech without industrail robots. The US excels at marketing technology, as an over simplyfication I'll attribute that to an abundance of VC money and a hige one-language market.

Ourgon 5y ago
> Or how many micro chips would be made without German machinery? More than would be made without Dutch machinery, seeing how as ASML is a Dutch company, spun off from Philips, another Dutch company.

polskibus 5y ago

Innovation requires capital (human, financial, natural resources, etc.) capital requires strong economy, stability, etc. USA has all of it, moreover it can buy the lacking components with dollars. USA has been strengthening their global position for years, since fighting off the Great Depression. Their unique position is further strengthened by the fact that the dollar they control is used in international trade. There is no way to compete with that head on, in the best case Americans just pay people with more money or buy the company outright. Europe does not have massive oil, gas, ore reserves. Most of it is a federation of culturally very different nations. Capital is scarce in contrast to USA. It’s really much harder to find support when developing new products and services because an error can destroy your life or career - our bankruptcy laws are less forgiving. All of that makes copying much more attractive here - it is less risky in an environment that punishes you when the risk materialises worse than in USA.

nceqs3 5y ago
well put
hef19898 5y ago
What you say may be ttue for the classic startup kind of innovation, less so for scintific ground work, developments in large existing companies and so on. In terms of patents, Europe is pretty much among the global leaders. Did we forget were two of the earliest COVId vaccines came from? Which aeroapace giant is building the more advanced civilian planes? Whos building the better quality cars (besides pushing EVs, even Teslas build quality is nowhere near that of European or Asian manufacturers, nor are other US brands)?
- nceqs3 5y ago
  The vaccines came from decades of NIH funded research and the US Govt's actions (in partnership with the private sector) during the actual pandemic.
  - hef19898 5y ago
    AstraZeneca came from Oxford (or was it Cambridge?), Pfizer from BionTech which was mainoy funded by the EU. Moderna was the US contender. That makes two of three that didn't come from the US, and I don't want to look up vaccination rates by vacvine per nation now.