In the wake of financial turmoil, the globalization of research goes on. IBM is set to open a major new research center in China, while Microsoft plans three new research centers in Britain, France, and Germany. The global serach for talent continues. My hunch is that the combination of financial and economic instability plus immigration restrictions will make the U.S. a slightly less attractive or viable location for global talent. Even though the effect is likely to be modest, companies will continue to redeploy where the talent is or wants to be.
October 15th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Richard,
Really looking forward for innovations coming into life via the new social network capabilities that make business possible around the world (despite distance, borders, languages).
Based at your most preferred place to live and yet being in the business – wouldn’t that be a dream to come true?
I strongly believe in it and will take the next step setting up a innovation learning environment (similar to Team Academy) in Dresden – the city that has broken my heart fifteen years ago.
Best regards
Ralf
PS.: Innovation comes from thinking. Thinking comes from letting go old behavior/ thinking. Financial crisis can be used as an accelerator to reach the tipping point for new thinking!
October 15th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
[...] is opening up a major research center in, you guessed it – [...]
October 16th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Talent is an odd thing as it does appear in the oddest of places – like those trees you see growing out of rocky islands.
It is smart to go to other cultures and do research in order to bring in fresh approaches. Poets know this so why not IBM.
I am concerned that America’s election cycle is way too long and although it entertains the world, it also leaves a bad taste and impression probably supporting your point about America no longer being country of choice. Imagine if the debates had been around how many engineers we have and on research and innovation. Could you lobby for that?
October 16th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I’m curious to see if we could find a way to quantify Germany’s attractiveness as a creative center of Europe right now, and if that correlates to what’s behind the interest from Microsoft.
I believe its being the center of the electronic music industry, particularly Berlin, even with its high unemployment rate, is bringing in highly educated and ambitious residents, internationally.
There is qualitative and quasi-qualitative research that seems to show that it is attracting an incredible number of creative types, particularly from Europe, and that I can see this helping them down the road.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
For decades, the United States dominated the technological revolution sweeping the globe. The nation’s science and engineering skills produced vast gains in productivity and wealth, powered its military and made it the de facto world leader.
Today, the dominance is eroding. In 2002, the nation’s high-technology balance of trade went south, and it never came back. By 2007, the annual gap between high-tech exports and imports had grown to $53 billion. The gap this year is expected to be the largest ever — approaching $60 billion…..
This is the lead of a related article in the NY Times today, on the presidential candidates approaches to the innovation gap.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/us/politics/17innovate.html