Description
Book SynopsisWhy, in the '90s, did business flourish in California's Silicon Valley but decline along Route 128 in Massachusetts? The answer, Saxenian suggests, has to do with the fact that Silicon Valley developed a decentralized but cooperative industrial system while Route 128 came to be dominated by independent, self-sufficient corporations.
Trade ReviewThis is scholarship at its best—thoroughly researched, elegantly written, a compelling story that’s relevant to business executives and policymakers everywhere. -- John Case * Boston Globe *
The best book I’ve seen at analyzing the secrets of Silicon Valley’s success. And it shows why the valley’s future remains bright even though costs are high. -- James J. Mitchell * San Jose Mercury News *
Saxenian’s findings are important because they highlight the fundamental organizational practices behind California’s economic successes in several key sectors, a reality dangerously ignored by many of the state’s political and business leaders. -- David Friedman * Los Angeles Times *
A welcome addition to the growing literature on American high technology, offering fresh insights in a thorough…account of the economic and technological evolution of America’s premier high-technology regions. -- Richard Florida * Science *
Regional Advantage is an impressive demonstration of why new technologies and new markets both create and are driven by new business models and corporate structures. -- Michael Stern * San Francisco Chronicle *
Over the past decade, however, there has been a growing interest in the role which territory (in the form of regions, industrial districts, or innovative milieux) plays in fostering technical change and industrial innovation… One of the many virtues of this book is the way it penetrates beneath these superficial similarities, exposing a more complex, more telling set of differences which help to explain the very different fortunes of these regions in recent years… What we have here is a well-researched, elegantly written, and provocative book on a subject which should engage a wide array of disciplines, especially those with an interest in innovation and regional development. -- Kevin Morgan * Research Review *
Table of ContentsPrologue Introduction: Local Industrial Systems 1. Genesis: Universities, Military Spending, and Entrepreneurs 2. Silicon Valley: Competition and Community 3. Route 128: Independence and Hierarchy 4. Betting on a Product 5. Running with Technology 6. Inside Out: Blurring Firms' Boundaries Conclusion: Protean Places Notes Historical Data Definitions and Data Sources Acknowledgments Index
