Sponsored by the Office for History of Science and Technology
Christophe Lécuyer
Chemical Heritage Foundation
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Making Silicon Valley, 1930-1970
This paper explores the formation of Silicon Valley as an industrial district, from its beginnings as the home of a few radio enterprises that operated in the shadow of bigger East Coast firms through its establishment as a center of the electronics industry and leading producer of power grid tubes, microwave tubes, and semiconductors. It argues that the emergence and growth of Silicon Valley was made possible by the development of unique manufacturing, product engineering, and management competencies. Entrepreneurs learned to integrate invention, design, manufacturing, and sales logistics, and developed incentives to attract and retain a skilled and motivated workforce. These innovative practices enabled Silicon Valley firms to adjust rapidly to changes in the marketplace and to dominate the US market for advanced electronics components.
4:00PM
Monday, May 2
203 Wheeler Hall Office for History of Science and Technology, 543 Stephens Hall #2350
University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-2350
tel: (510) 642-4581, e-mail: Office@ohst7.berkeley.edu
