The New Kids on the (Innovation) Block?
Governments
All the leaves are brown (All the leaves are brown)
And the sky is grey (And the sky is grey)
I’ve been for a walk (I’ve been for a walk)
On a winter’s day (On a winter’s day)
I’d be safe and warm (I’d be safe and warm)
If I was in L.A. (If I was in L.A.)
California dreaming (California dreaming)
36 million (one out of eight) Americans live in California (a state as large as Germany, Switzerland and Belgium combined). Here the film (in Hollywood) and the information and technology industry (in Silicon Valley) were born, plus most of the latest innovation waves.
Therefore it is not a surprise that not only multinational companies and investors are setting a presence here, but governments too.
To provide an accurate picture of the growing phenomenon of global government presence in California, Mind the Bridge has mapped, surveyed, and interviewed dozens of Governmental Trade and Bridge Organizations about their structure, strategies, activities, and results. The outcomes are
included in our new report, “Government Innovation Outposts in Silicon Valley”, which was presented on September 21st during the Scaleup Summit in San Francisco.
Here are some of the report highlights:
Government presence in California is now a global phenomenon, and growing.
Institutions from 40 countries worldwide have set foot in California. 77 outposts have been established, the majority of which are in Silicon Valley (80%) versus 20% in Los Angeles. This is quite a recent trend: 60% of those outposts did not exist before 2010.
Best practices (and some “champions”) can already be spotted.
Government Innovation Outposts in California effectively act as one-stop-shops for innovation stakeholders. By appropriately measuring their performance in terms of internal structure and strategies and depth of external actions, we can already identify some trend-setters in terms of service offerings and degree of specialization. They represent a good benchmark for other agencies planning to follow suit.
Government Outposts produce value.
Historically, Government Innovation Outposts in California delivered value. Based on our analysis, a typical government outpost – over a period of 10 years on average – supports the creation of 500+ jobs, fosters $250M in commercial deals, and attracts half a billion dollars in FDIs. Figures like these cannot be definitively overlooked.
Blended is the new normal past covid.
The world is slowly entering a “new normal” phase after the dramatic pandemic of 2020. Government Outposts adapted quickly and now provide an accessible blend of digital and onsite services. This model is here to stay.
Alberto Onetti, Chairman, Mind the Bridge
Marco Marinucci, Founder & CEO, Mind the Bridge
