Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128, With a New Preface by the Author Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128, With a New Preface by the Author

Why is it that business in California's Silicon Valley flourished while along Route 128 in Massachusetts declined in the 90s? The answer, Saxenian suggests, has to do with the fact that despite similar histories and technologies, Silicon Valley developed a decentralized but cooperative industrial system while Route 128 came to be dominated by independent, self-sufficient corporations. The result of more than one hundred interviews, this compelling analysis highlights the importance of local sources of competitive advantage in a volatile world economy. Why is it that in the 90s, business in Californias Silicon Valley flourished, while along Route 128 in Massachusetts it declined? The answer, Annalee Saxenian suggests, has to do with the fact that despite similar histories and technologies, Silicon Valley developed a decentralized but cooperative industrial system while Route 128 came to be dominated by independent, self-sufficient corporations. The result of more than one hundred interviews, this compelling analysis highlights the importance of local sources of competitive advantage in a volatile world economy. The book is a history and sociology of the differences between Silicon Valley and Route 128, the Boston tech corridor that was once considered a competitor to the Valley. It is very useful to understanding the structural causes of Silicon Valley’s success, showing that it was increased interpersonal and intercorporate sharing that made Silicon Valley continue to succeed after the shocks of the ’80s hammered both Silicon Valley and Boston’s Route 128. Why, in the ’90s, did business flourish in California’s Silicon Valley but decline along Route 128 in Massachusetts? The answer, Saxenian suggests, has to do with the fact that Silicon Valley developed a decentralized but cooperative industrial system while Route 128 came to be dominated by independent, self-sufficient corporations. Genesis: Universities, Military Spending, And Entrepreneurs -- Silicon Valley: Competition And Community -- Route 128: Independence And Hierarchy -- Betting On A Product -- Running With Technology -- Inside Out: Blurring Firms' Boundaries. Annalee Saxenian. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [171]-205) And Index. The result of numerous interviews with executives, entrepreneurs and policy-makers, this analysis highlights the importance of local sources of competitive advantage in a volatile world economy. It also underscores the need to develop regional, as well as national and sectoral, economic policies.