Finding your way around the Valley

When it comes to the crunch explaining what ‘Silicon Valley’ actually represents – ask yourself – do you really have a clear understanding? For most of us, I suppose the influence from popular social media tools and cool high tech gadgets will probably relate us to multinational corporations like Facebook, Microsoft and Google which have offices situated in that region of San Francisco. Perhaps this amount of information is more than enough to bore some of the more ignorant ones about tech-based entrepreneurship – but honestly, Silicon Valley’s history and its place at the forefront of innovation and enterprise has more than what meets the eye.

Silicon Valley, as its name suggests, comprises a trove of internet or electronics-based companies that dominate markets and set ‘tech-fashions’. But while this name aptly describes companies like Facebook, Yahoo and Apple, you should know many other kinds of corporations are also present in the same region. Take Gilead Science for instance. One of the top companies in the region, it is a research-based biopharmaceutical organization that conducts medical-related R&D in drugs and therapies. As you can see, it is hardly related to a silicon chip or semiconductor manufacturing. So, why do we use the term “Silicon”?

William Shockley, one of the ‘founding fathers’ of Silicon Valley is the reason behind its nickname, due to his innovations in the design of the semiconductor. But its actual beginnings reach all the way back to early 20th century, when experimentation with electronics was taking place. Subsequently by the 1970s, while semiconductors contributed a major portion of the area’s economy, its fame as the region where computers and graphical user interfaces were born soon drew more companies and venture capitalists into the region for business. And right before the dot-com crash, the Silicon Valley found itself to be the centre of an explosion of internet-based businesses.

Today, Silicon Valley is no longer considered just the centre of silicon chip manufacturers, its name is synonymous with world-class innovation and technological progress – a far cry from its early beginnings.

And now, as Imperial students, a select few of us will have the chance to experience it first-hand. A month from now will mark the start of the International Insight Series to Silicon Valley, San Francisco, where a series of high-key appointments will be conducted within the world’s fastest growing hub of cutting edge, high-techcompanies. King’s College Business Club and Imperial Entrepreneurs have jointly organised this trip to provide Imperial students the opportunity to visit some of the most prestigious companies existing in Silicon Valley today.

With presentations, discussions and networking just beside some of the most successful start-up ventures in the world, this trip is promised to be that ticket you have been hoping for to get through the door for a promising career in entrepreneurship while of course – soaking in the sun on the other side of the Atlantic.

The application processis really simple. To apply, you will have to forward your CV to zhong.lim12@imperial.ac.uk and answer the following question in less than 200 words: “What would you hope to gain from attending this trip?” The deadline for online applications at http://imperialentrepreneurs.com/silicon-valley-trip/ is midnight on the 4th of February 2013.

For further details please visit imperialentrepreneurs.com.