Tales from Silicon Valley

Tales from Silicon Valley was a visionary project commissioned by the Australian Business Foundation at the height of the 'tech boom', the frenzy of investment in internet-based stocks and enterprises seen during the late 1990s. The Australian Business Foundation commissioned two expatriate Australian experts to contribute commentaries, reports and opinion pieces that explored the phenomenon of the 'New Economy' between 1999 and 2001.

David Forman is an award-winning Australian business journalist, having worked in Canberra for The Australian and BRW. David probes the dynamics of Silicon Valley and elicits some take-home messages for Australian businesses and governments - to help respond to the increasing pace and volatility of new technologies.

Michael Burns has many years of experience in the technology sector, as well as running his own business consulting company, counting some of Silicon Valley's most respected companies as clients. Michael has some valuable insights into US best practices as they relate to Australia.

Tales from Silicon Valley is a valuable resource. It not only includes articles written at the height of the internet 'bubble', but also reflections on the impacts and lessons to be learnt from the tech crash. Effectively these reflections serve as a post-mortem of the rise and fall of the dot-coms, providing a reference point for young entrepreneurial firms in the early years of the 21st century.

Most importantly, the crucial issues distilled by the Tales from Silicon Valley articles retain their critical importance in the years after the tech crash. 'A Future For Our Factories' is a group of articles that examines the real tests for Australian manufacturing in a globalised world. Venture capital, innovation policy, R&D, entrepreneurship and intellectual capital (IP) are all highlighted as keys to building a robust Australian economy in an uncertain global economic climate.

There are also a number of interviews with highly respected business figures including Jac Nasser, former CEO of Ford, Greg Papadopoulos, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Sun Microsystems, David Blumberg, Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital.

Silicon Valley, California, USA is no longer the one premier hub of entrepreneurship and innovative thinking in the world. Yet it has become symbolic of the innovative, knowledge-intensive ways of doing business that Australian firms are trying to harness to compete internationally. Tales from Silicon Valley is about ideas, not just events, so have your say about the issues - and feel free to suggest further avenues for investigation.