1. Silicon Valley: too successful?
Henry Etzkowitz, Annika Steiber

2. Focus & Methodology
Silicon Valley is a node in a larger comparative project on innovative regions and science parks
Research questions were:
What is Silicon Valley?
To what extent is Silicon valley place bound or sticky?
What contribute to the stickiness?
What is the primary engine behind Silicon Valley’s innovativeness?
Does the Valley have a capability to renew itself and sources for this capability?
Data collected through literature review and 20 interviews with key analysts and observers of Silicon Valley
Interviews were conducted face2face and over skype and a semi- structured interview guide was used

3. What is Silicon valley? A dream
A label for a social-economic structure
A brand and virtual network of multinational corporations with HQ in the Valley
A talent pool
An Ecosystem
A culture
A BLOB
A geographical place

4. How has the Valley changed?
Geographical boundaries have changed- from Santa Clara county to now North of San Francisco, SF, Peninsula, San Jose, South of San Jose and East bay
More heterogeneous both in technologies, national cultures, and in income equality
More interconnected to other innovation hubs in the USA and abroad
Innovation focus changed from research and technology innovations to business models and application innovations…”the rise of the business people”

5. Driving forces behind change?
More diverse and broader technology portfolio
General high attractiveness of the Valley, attracting people all over the world to move to the Valley
Local more active government initiatives such as in San Francisco
Higher living costs (especially housing costs)
Transportation problems- infrastructure
Higher income equality
Urbanization trend among younger

6. Place bound- Sticky? Yes and No
Yes in the case of culture, momentum, well oiled ecosystem with a collective learning base for creating companies
No in the case that new innovation hubs are created both in the USA and abroad

7. What contributes to its stickiness?
Strong entrepreneurial culture
Innovation Network, including key client proximity, talent pool, capital, support system in how to build and grow companies, and strong networks between these actors
Momentum- Black Hole..a mass effect
Brand

8. Primary engine behind the Valley’s innovativeness and resilience?
The larger companies such as Facebook, Google etc. that for their own good need a dynamic and resilient ecosystem populated with excellent people
The entrepreneurial culture of the region
Entrepreneurial people and people mobility and cross discipline networking
The continuity of technology development and the diversity of technology sectors
Mentoring
VC capital (around 50% of USA VC funding was invested in Silicon Valley in 2015)

9. Is Silicon Valley Replicable?
Bottom up/lateral Top Down
Science Park Historical Accident
Consequence of Entrepreneurial University Development Strategy