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January 18, 2008
Clean and the next big thing (or how to think differently about the economy)
According to the Financial Times, there is now
a different Silicon Valley boom. This one is sucking in talent from some of the industries that have dominated the region over the past decade, such as the internet, software and systems. It is driven by the same belief in unbounded opportunity that fuelled the rise of the internet.
Under the banner of “clean technology,” this latest Valley obsession spans a wide range of technologies and industries. These include alternative energy sources such as solar power and ethanol; technologies geared to energy management and conservation; and new materials and industrial processes with varied environmental benefits.
Industrial processes? Hardware, like solar technology? Materials? This is the "service" economy?
No, it is one more manifestation of the I-Cubed Economy. Information, innovation and intangibles are key factors in every industry -- whether providing IT services or developing new energy efficient industrial processes or solar hardware. The manufacturing/services dichotomy is a dead as the dodo. It has outlived its usefulness and should be retired.
Time to start thinking about the sectors or economy activity (energy, transportation, food, shelter, entertainment etc.) -- and stop think about the process (manufacturing or service).
Posted by Ken Jarboe at January 18, 2008 7:55 AM
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