Jun 23, 2010

Steven Weber Discusses Medvedev's Plans for a Russian Technology Hub

From Bloomberg News (via the San Francisco Chronicle)

Cisco, Twitter Pledge Russian Investments During Medvedev Trip

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev came to Silicon Valley with a goal: convince investors that his country is a safe place to put their money and resources.

His pitch led to commitments from Cisco Systems Inc., Twitter Inc. and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger -- and a maybe from Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs. Medvedev, 44, met with the leaders to get a first-hand view of Silicon Valley and drum up support for Russian's own attempt at a technology hotbed: Skolkovo, an area near Moscow....

Medvedev has asked billionaire Viktor Vekselberg to oversee the creation of a Russian version of technology hub in Skolkovo. The idea is to spur innovative technologies that will help the world's biggest energy supplier diversify its economy.

That kind of project can't be handled by the government alone, said Steven Weber, director of the Institute of International Studies [sic; professor in the School of Information] at the University of California, Berkeley. It requires an entrepreneurial class that is willing and able to create businesses, he said.

"There have been a variety of attempts over the last 15 or 20 years in lots of different countries to create their version of 'Silicon Valley,' and the history of those efforts is quite unfortunate," Weber said. "It's almost guaranteed to fail."

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October 4, 2016