Changing places pack 6

Silicon Valley California Causes (7)

• Silicon Valley is located between San Francisco and San Jose in Northern California

• Stanford University is based here which has research professors and students, a constant source of inspiration and company ideas

• Terman, the Dean of engineering at Stanford University set up Stanford Industrial Park which attracted 150 firms

• Fairchild was the parent company to Apple, Google and Yahoo and others, being next to each other enabled their software to grow at the same pace

• Highly skilled graduates refuse to leave the area. Companies need to locate here in order to attract them

• Freeway 101 and Caltrain  and 3 airports means regionally and internationally connected.

• Increasingly diverse amenities, restaurants and social provisions attracts more talent to area

Silicon Valley california advantages - economic (4)

Economic

• Value placed on spin-offs and new entrepreneurial  ventures

• Landlords able to raise rent above inflation

• Faster transfer of ideas and career progression

• Median household income is $126,000 which is well above US average of $75,000

Silicon Valley advantages - environmental(4)

Environmental

• Environmental awareness is widespread

• High levels of hybrid car ownership and rise of electric car industry

• Big companies investing in clean energy e.g. Nvidia uses 100% renewable electricity for offices and data centers

• Hyper speed broadband set up

Silicon Valley advantages - social (4)

Social

• Excellent higher education that attracts quality students and researchers

• High levels of highly qualified posts for women

• Most qualified tech grads in the world

• Diverse society with around 40% of population being foreign born

Silicon Vally Disadvantages - Economic (2)

Economic 

• High price of property due to demand exceeding supply, therefore employees forced to live further away where prices are lower

• Difficult for public service workers to be recruited because of high price of housing mean they are so far away

Silicon Valley Disadvantages - Social (4)

Social

• Cost of living too high for public sector workers

• Older residents feel that environment and places they grew up with are being destroyed

• Transport systems overloaded, not only in rush hour due to 24/7 working pattern

• Demand for housing, schools and facilities for young families.

Silicon Valley Disadvantges - Environmental (5)

Environmental

• Urban sprawl

• High levels of pollution

• Water supply issues

• Space to build is disappearing rapidly forcing movement onto protected land

• Congestion

Silicon Roundabout causes (7)

• Proximity to central London and the City, which is the marketplace for the innovations and source of finance

• Connectivity to rest of London and the UK

• Office spaces are large

• Close to top universities such as UCL and City University of London

• UK government branded it "Tech City" and provided tax breaks, investment support and infrastructure improvements like higher speed broadband than other parts of central London

• Cheaper rents than in the CBD

• Victorian warehouses could be converted into office space

Silicon roundabout advantages (3)

Economic               

•  Over 40,000 jobs created                         

•  Billions of pounds of venture capital funding

Social

• Shoreditch transformed from deprived to vibrant

• Increase in cafes and restaurants

Environmental

• Use of existing buildings reduces need for greenfield land

Silicon Roundabout disadvantages (3)

Economic           

• Office rents in the area have risen by 70% in the last 15 years

Social

• Gentrification as locals pushed out

Environmental

• Congestion

• Pressure on infrastructure

Cambridge Science Park Causes (5)

• Established in 1970 by Dean of Trinity College Cambridge

• Close to Cambridge University so had access to highly skilled graduates and research and innovation

• Near major transport routes like A41 and M11

• 100 companies based there

• Employs 7,000 people

Cambridge Science Park impacts (5)

• Cambridge University provides steady stream of research breakthroughs

• Highly skilled grads and post grads who work in or create companies at the science park

• Presence of Cambridge University enhances the park's global prestige attracting international companies researchers and investors

• Many companies in science park collaborate closely with university departments on joint projects, leveraging the university's expertise

• HOWEVER, house prices are high with average home being around £500,000