Breznitz challenges prevailing ideas about innovation and a guide to identifying the best growth strategy for your community.
Across the world, cities and regions have wasted trillions of dollars on blindly copying the Silicon Valley model of growth creation. Since the early years of the information age, we’ve been told that economic growth derives from harnessing technological innovation. To do this, places must create good education systems, partner with local research universities, and attract innovative hi-tech firms. We have lived with this system for decades, and the result is clear: a small number of regions and cities succeed at the top of the high-tech industry but many more fight a losing battle to retain economic dynamism.
Dan Breznitz argues that there are other ways for a place to succeed. He says those who promote the dominant ideas on innovation have a feeble understanding of the big picture on global production and innovation. Communities waste time, money, and energy pursuing this road to nowhere. Breznitz proposes that communities instead focus on where they fit in the four stages in the global production process. All localities have certain advantages relative to at least one stage of the global production process, and the trick is in recognizing it.