Audi 2015 Annual Report Download - page 24

GLOBAL INNOVATION CAPITAL
Many of the world’s most forward-looking, innovative and infl uential businesses have estab-
lished bases in Silicon Valley. The southern rim of the bay between San Francisco and San José
is home to Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, eBay and many other market leaders of the digital
economy. Students from all continents are drawn there to attend Stanford University and fre-
quently launch their own start-ups after graduating. The leading discipline of Silicon Valley’s
founders is disruptive innovation – using new ideas to abolish an existing market and then to
reinvent it with their product. The manufacturing of physical products no longer plays any role
in this world ; the key trait of the market leaders is their expertise in data aggregation. This data
is shared between users and providers on platforms.
In his German book “Silicon Valley – What we will be facing from the world’s most powerful valley,”
Christoph Keese describes how the mechanisms in the valley of dreams work and what the key
to success is for these Californian businesses and pioneers. But he also casts a critical eye over
the working culture in Silicon Valley and calls for Germany to get actively involved in the debate
about our future in the digital world.
Follow the
meeting
between
Prof. Rupert
Stadler
and Christoph
Keese.
PHOTOS : Dieter Roosen