The technology innovative system of the Silicon Valley.
Comparison with the innovative system of the Italian industrial districts

Angelo Bonomi

CNR-IRCRES, National Research Council, Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth, Italy

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Abstract

This work is focused on the technology innovative system of the Silicon Valley, the difficulties of the transfer of this system to other territories, and what it might be transferred to Italian industrial districts in order to improve their technology development. This study is based on American literature about the Silicon Valley system and two study tours made in the Silicon Valley in 2016 and 2019 visiting universities, startups, medium and big companies of this territory. The study includes a first part dedicated to the Silicon Valley concerning its technological evolution, objective and strategies of its firms, its technology innovation process, the relation university-industry, the venture capital and the competitive advantages of the cluster of firms. In a second part we present a brief history of the technological development of Italian industrial districts and their technological innovation system, the limits of transfer of the Silicon Valley technological system and what it might be transferred to Italian industrial districts for their technological development. The study shows that Italian industrial districts have a common cultural and entrepreneurial vision in firms of the same territory similar to that of the Silicon Valley, although not necessarily of the same nature, and a weakness in the relation university-industry with difficulties existing in both sides.

Keywords: territorial innovative system, entrepreneurship, startup, venture capital, industrial districts, Silicon Valley, relation university-industry.

JEL Codes: I20, N90, O30, O32, O38.

DOI: 10.23760/2421-7158.2020.006

How to Cite this Article

Bonomi, A. (2020). The Technology Innovative System of the Silicon Valley (CNR-IRCrES Working Paper 6/2020). Istituto di Ricerca sulla Crescita Economica Sostenibile. Disponibile da http://dx.doi.org/10.23760/2421-7158.2020.006