|
N e w s l e t t e r
March 17, 2011
The Next Silicon Valley connects the dots between technology innovation and geographic location for investors, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, economic development authorities, government officials, educators, consultants and the media. Its website, newsletter and social media platforms inform readers worldwide. Advertising supported, The Next Silicon Valley engages sponsors with a diverse audience of business professionals. |
|
|
The Looming Semiconductor Tsunami
 Like the tsunami that followed Japan's devastating 8.9 earthquake last Friday, the real impact on the global technology industry is just beginning to gather momentum.
"This is monumental."
That's the Japan quake-tsunami assessment of Future Horizon chairman Malcolm Penn, who has assessed the impact on the semiconductor sector and its inextricably linked global supply chain.
During an interview with Bloomberg TV in Europe this afternoon, Penn predicted that memory chip prices could "double" as a result of looming shortages in the manufacturing supply chain. Expect a ripple effect, and price increases, across all products containing semiconductor devices.
"The real impact will come in three months time," Penn predicted, noting that there "was not enough manufacturing capacity in the system even before this situation."
A link to Penn's interview can be found on our home page, here and on our new YouTube video channel here. See also: Impact of Japanese earthquake on electronics industry.
Editor's Note: We reached out to our friends and associates in Japan this week and were greatly relieved to find that none were injured or directly impacted by the horrific catastrophe still unfolding on the island nation. The Next Silicon Valley has made donations to the relief fund and we urge our readers to do the same. A favorite charity is "Save The Children," and we have posted an ad on our website, lower right column, linked to its donation form.
|
|
Mexico's high tech hub gets IBM Innovation Center
 IBM (NYSE:IBM) has opened an Innovation Center in Mexico City in part to develop the growing market for information technology.
The center is expected to provide local entrepreneurs, IBM business partners, and universities with access to training workshops, consulting services, technical infrastructure and assistance in marketing new technologies.
Mexico is considered a leader in energy R&D.
The nearby Mexican city of city of Guadalajara Jalisco is known as Mexico's silicon valley due to its strong electronics industry, and is also considered Mexico's high tech capital due to its leadership in software and informatics development.
The Research & Innovation Technology Park, in Monterrey, known locally by its Spanish acronym PIIT, also supports innovation and technology development in biotech, nanotechnology, mechatronics, ICT and health science.
|
| How Bavaria became a European silicon valley
 The mention of Bavaria may still conjure up images of rowdy beer halls, oompah bands, but the state capital, Munich, is revamping itself as Germany's answer to silicon valley according to an article in the Guardian.
The region around the state capital, which generates a third of Bavaria's total output, is home to heavyweights such as BMW and MAN, but also hundreds of smaller biotech, IT and environmental technology firms that have sprung up in the past couple of decades, as well as 550 US IT firms. Recent start-ups include Linguatec, which produces automatic translation software and dictionaries, and Greenrobot, which creates mobile apps such as Quick Search and GroovieMovie.TV. More here.
|
|
Amman, Jordan is unlikely hotspot for technology startups
Some 500 people attend monthly meet-ups
Growing tech infrastructure in Jordanian capital
 Once a technology wasteland, Amman is now home to a growing number of internet startups. Their young founders credit a more liberal government and lower seed costs.
"Amman's different than other places because we've got good leadership and better education - we produce engineers who've been producing tech work before they even leave school," Fouad Jeryes, chief of social networking platform d1g.com, told Arabian Business. More here.
|
|
CHINA: Ambitious plans to attract foreign students
 China's ambitious plans to turn itself into an innovation economy include a big increase in the number of foreign students, turning the country into an education 'hub', a top Chinese education ministry official told an international conference in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, new official figures revealed that there are now 31 million higher education students in China - a 35% increase in five years.
The number of foreign students in China is currently around 260,000 including those on short-term programmes.
"We believe that by 2015 the international student population in China will reach 350,000 students and by 2020 [it will reach] 500,000," said Shen Yang, deputy director-general of the department of international cooperation and exchanges in the Ministry of Education. More here.
|
|
|
|
| Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Richard K. Wallace
Editor & Publisher
Tel: +1 631 204-7451
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
|
|
|
