Science parks and industry notes.

  • High technology industry involves a highly skilled workforce and requires a high proportion of research
  • High technology industries are relatively footloose. They don’t need many raw materials. The raw materials they need are small electrical components.
  • Largest collection of high tech industries is found in Silicon Valley
  • UK’s high tech areas are in silicon glen, Cambridge and m11 corridor, m3 corridor and the m4 corridor
  • Bangalore is the Silicon Valley of India. Over 160,000 people are currently employed in technology sector and number is expected to exceed 200,000 in 2005.
  • India’s first science park is in Bangalore. Home to about 100 companies including Siemens, Hewlett Packard and Motorola.
  • Infoys was the first Indian firm to float on the us stock exchange
  • Companies like to cluster
  • Companies who create over 250 jobs get incentives such as tax reduction
  • Bangalore has a wealth of highly trained graduates
  • English is widely spoken
  • Comfortable climate and greenery. Called the garden of India.
  • Purpose built offices are readily available
  • High tech companies locate along the m4 corridor
  • Vodafone’s head office is in Newbury
  • Relatively footloose but prefer locations with easy access for a workforce and good scenery
  • The m4 provides direct route to Heathrow airport also to the m5. Also a rail link from London to south Wales.
  • They require a highly skilled workforce
  • They locate near universities
  • Factors behind locations include a highly skilled workforce, proximity to research centres and attractive environments
  • A science park is a planned industry complex which contains quaternary companies such as Cambridge Science Park
  • Growth of high tech industry can bring advantage and disadvantage