Global Collaboration Triggered by Startups
The technology scene is at a new high. Organizations expanding their scopes of operations and setting up global centers to leverage talent have helped drive the growth of the technology sector worldwide. Diversifying their businesses to newer geographies through setting up engineering or research centers has helped these companies establish local presences.
This is more of a “push” effort by larger technology giants, but a “pull” strategy has also been steadily picking up steam in recent years. This tactic has helped the local startup movements grow leaps and bounds in several countries, attracting the attention of power players like the United States to collaborate with them.
The startup scene in the United States continues to thrive very well. If we look at the top twenty startup cities globally, six of them are in the United States. Even more claim to have had the “Silicon Valley effect,” with lessons learned from the startup culture in the region. The remaining fourteen top cities are a diverse lot from varied global geographies, including Tel Aviv, Bangalore, Sao Paulo, Moscow, and Singapore.
Examples of globalization in the technology sector such as Facebook's buying a tiny startup in India are very encouraging to see. China, where the technology scene was dull a decade back, is now one of the global leaders. Seoul is another example of an up-and-coming city supporting startups.
Perhaps the most interesting of this group is Nigeria. Despite the safety issues the country faces, the startup scene there has taken no back seat. Competitions to judge startups, efforts to encourage an inflow of funds, and support for women to become entrepreneurs are amazing.
So, what is it about startups that gets people excited? As Arnel Leyva writes on GeekWire, does it really have to do with the difference between “a normal job and an adventurous one?” The potential satisfaction in helping get a worthy idea off the ground lures many people to join or fund startups.
That recognition is a good boost for several startups. Some proof of acknowledgment for such growing global technology entrepreneurs is a recent gathering that Queen Elizabeth II hosted. Leaders are increasingly encouraging young people and women to take the entrepreneurial route without any inhibitions, instilling more confidence in their ideas and in themselves.
As organizations come together globally to help nations grow in the startup and technology space, the collaboration and opportunities that result can potentially surpass even planned efforts between countries. However, this is no free ticket that should unduly encourage people that they will get all the support they want.
Startup environments are often very demanding and unstable, and they truly live by the principle of “survival of the fittest.” Although the current scene is very exciting, it definitely should be a case of cautious excitement, especially for those of the younger generation, who need to be ready to give their best to succeed.
