What makes Silicon Valley so innovative?

Three suggestions to the recipe of the secret sauce of innovation

Silicon Valley has fostered some of the World’s largest corporations that have changed the technology and the way we live. Companies like Apple, Google, Cisco, Oracle, Uber, Tesla, etc. is born here. What’s the secret behind this innovation that is disrupting one industry after another?

1. The high quality of knowledge coming from top universities like Stanford and University of California. In San Francisco Bay Area, more than 50 current Nobel Prize winners live here. But there are other great clusters of knowledge in USA (think of Harvard or MIT in Massachusetts), so high caliber knowledge cannot be the only reason? Let’s look at the second ingredients: 

2. The World’s strongest investment system. Venture capital in Silicon Valley are representing one third of all US investments in new enterprises. And probably also attracts too much capital, critics say, calling foreign companies or foreign investors “tourists” with “stupid money”. But there are also other areas like New York where there are strong venture capital communities within e.g. fin-tech, so cash abundance can also not be the only reason? Let’s look at the third ingredients:

3. The mindset and mentality of the multicultural environment in Silicon Valley. There is a strong willingness to share knowledge and ideas, not being afraid of protecting own intellectual property rights. Also there is a high degree of risk willingness. “If you don’t risk, you don’t gain”, a former Google employee explained. Failure is accepted and filing for bankruptcy is not stigmatizing. Talents apparently think bigger in Silicon Valley:

Innovation is enjoying breaking the rules. It’s aiming to disrupt, not just optimize. And it’s being impatient, making speed a disrupter in itself. Speed is everything. Fast forward.

Innovation Center DK in Palo Alto @ICDK_SV shared some of these insights of the innovation ecosystem in Silicon Valley. 

This article was originally published on LinkedIn.

In the ROCKWOOL Group, you can expect to work with dedicated managers who reflect the Groups strong leadership traditions and our five core values. They are visible in the ROCKWOOL Way of leadership that we foster throughout our organization. 

Recently we updated our external global career page with some testimonials, here's the one for the supply chain area:
 

"WE HELP TO LOWER CO2 EMISSIONS"

"In Group Supply Chain we work cross-functionally and holistically with all aspects of our business. Supply Chain touches many functions such as sales, marketing, finance, production and logistics. It is our job to ensure that all functions look at our business through the same pair of lenses.
Our company is a leading player in driving the energy efficiency agenda. We help to lower CO₂ emissions and we make it possible for millions of people to save money and live comfortably while reducing their energy bills. I am happy to contribute to these endeavours and to work with top professional colleagues across the globe.
Our ROCKWOOL Group values of passion and entrepreneurship shine through in our daily efforts to improve the supply chain by simplifying and streamlining our product offerings and making our company even more efficient. My personal ambition is for our supply chain function to add clear value for our customers and to help us become an even more customer-oriented company in the future."

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Martin Berg joined the ROCKWOOL Group in 2010. Martin is our Director for Supply Chain & Contracting.

Link to ROCKWOOL global career page