Silicon Valley Comes to Oxford 2010

Silicon Valley Comes to Oxford bridges two world centres of ideas to explore the big issues of innovation and entrepreneurial phenomena in a mix of masterclasses, tutorials, panel debates and networking events.

Further information about the event is available on the University of Oxford Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation website >

Oxford will be the Silicon Valley of Europe, according to Mike Malone, speaking at the tenth Silicon Valley comes to Oxford (SVCO10), an event he co-founded in 2001. He reflected on how much had been achieved since then - not least the show of hands with ninety percent of the three hundred students in the audience who considering themselves entrepreneurs.

"Oxford is now the leading centre in Europe for entrepreneurship education, and of all these companies coming out of Oxford... there will be a Google, there will be a Twitter".

Over the last ten years, the SVCO formula of innovative students plus successful entrepreneurs, interacting close-up in masterclasses, panel discussions and debates, has produced significant outcomes. The Oxford-Silicon Valley entrepreneurial links run deep, strengthening every year with new networks, investment and Oxford ventures.

"What this has done is amazing. It is not just an event; it is about doing purposeful things in the world" said Stephen Todd, Associate Fellow.

Three themes emerged this year:

• Technology is moving 'into the humanity layer': growth in access will change the world
• Disruption: to business models and just about everything else
• Climate Change: can we shift from localised to global innovation?

What have been the most significant drivers of the last ten years?

• Five billion mobile handsets: the pace at which information is being democratised, through internet and real-time information networks, means that technology is starting to shape society, change traditional power structures and address serious issues like energy.
• User-generated content: a human driver whereby technology has allowed us to express our opinion and creativity thus generating, we heard from the speakers, more content since 2003 than had been generated since the first written word.
• Climate and energy security: now the largest, most open-ended opportunity for which existing innovation models may not work. International, collaborative solutions with patient funding to apply existing and new technologies - will.
• Sharing: the recognition that open doors create more value. Leadership style is changing, even in large companies; workforce structures, community aggregation, online sharing of information and loyalty patterns has all been driven by profound behavioural change.

MASTERCLASS

by BIZ STONE

Twitter: it's not about us making algorithms, it's about birds and humanity.

Mistakes: I love them, even my public ones; they offer a peak into the Twitter soul.

Be creative: it's a renewable resource. Manufacture opportunity: don't wait for circumstances to evolve so you can step into them.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

BEST PLACE TO START A COMPANY?

• Estonia (in the wake of Skype)

• Silicon Valley (though it can't hijack the dream)

• "Anywhere but Europe" (according one investor and serial entrepreneur in Europe)

• Countries with an entrepreneur-friendly government (though beware the trade-off, you might inherit a father)

• Near a research base (especially for green tech, materials, healthcare)

• Anywhere in the world, for start-up at least (technology links us all....)

• Foo Camp

• The wrong side of town (scrappy entrepreneurs like low cost)

• Not in an incubator ("I kill all incubators inside the company", Best Buy's innovation champion, Kal Patel)

• Africa (see M-PESA, eZuza, Google and two new cables down the East side of the continent)

• Somewhere with high density of investors (they like to see your face)