<i>A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over with a working simple system.</i> – John Gall
This entire article seems to misunderstand what Silicon Valley is, what universities are, and the difference between them. It's rather typical of the French statist approach, where change comes from top-down policy initiatives, rather than from bottom-up civic and economic activity. How bureaucrats does it take to teach a class on entrepreneurship?<p>French universities, in my personal experience, are deeply underfunded (i.e. we can't afford chairs in all the classrooms), and the French economy is hardly in a position to support this new, vaster agglomeration.
I feel like Saclay won't rival Silicon Valley any time soon.<p>To me, part of the magic of silicon valley has little to do with Stanford (although the article references Harvard??) or the mega businesses, but the overall culture of northern california.<p>For example, would Apple Computer have happened if Steve Jobs had never done LSD? How about BSD? Or many other highly creative and innovative systems.<p>Maybe it's a coincidence but the European hewing towards authoritarianism thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Can anyone tell me why French institutions are so inept at translating their sites into English. It must be on purpose, a big f-u to non native French speakers.
I'm so fed up with this. I found a gardening analogie to the way our government handles the country development :<p>Normal people, whenever they want to grow plants, they start by looking at a fertile soil, with good sunny weather, and good water supplies around. Then they throw thousands of seeds all around and see what grows, and take care of it over time.<p>Now, in france it's different. We bring in 20000 liters of water in containers, buy 3 tons of fertilizers, and put one seed in the ground.
I find the title misleading and unanswered within the body of the story. Also, Silicon Valley is not a university, though there are certainly a few peppered throughout the valley.