Wie angekündigt haben wir ein Interview mit Jennifer Palka geführt, Conference General Manager der Web2.0-Expo Europe, die dieses Jahr vom 21.-23. Oktober in Berlin stattfindet. Ausnahmsweise belassen wir es heute mal in der Originalsprache: englisch. Und los gehts:

Usually, the focus of the industry remains aimed at the Silicon Valley, although recently, we’ve seen a connection between web companies from the USA to Europe, especially Berlin.
Why do you think the interest in european companies has increased recently?

US companies need to learn to think outside the Valley, so to speak. The Valley is learning to look at Europe not just as a market, but as a source of innovation. The industry certainly noticed when, for instance, Google bought Jaiku, and Twitter remained independent. Certainly Jaiku’s European roots and customer base were a large part of that decision. Two of the most interesting trends that we see (and Tim O’Reilly has written quite a bit about) are the potential of sensors to drive collective intelligence applications, and the need to measure energy data. Leaders in these respective spaces are both European companies: Violet (who will be launching a product at the conference) and Amee. We should be looking to Europe for leadership and innovation.

Do you see a possible hub for the tech community to grow in Europe, like
Silicon Valley is in the States? Where do you think this could be?

Yes, but I think it will not play out the same way in Europe as it does in the States. Because of language differences, I doubt there will be just one hub, as many innovative start ups will need to be located in their local markets. Also, I’m not sure there is as much of a need for a hub in Europe as there is in the States, due mostly to geography. Distances between major cities are not as far in Europe as in the States, and infrastructure is more advanced in Europe. It takes as long to travel between San Francisco and San Jose as between some European cities. And the Bay Area emerged as a technology hub at a time when location was more important than it is now. Web workers have become very effective, probably more effective than any other group, at working from any location. The culture is now about being where you want to be, and traveling often for social and educational events.

What is the main focus of the WEB 2.0 Expo Europe? And what can
businesses or even individuals expect to get out of it?

Web 2.0 Expo Europe looks at both the big picture and the how-to. We want to inspire you to do innovative, meaningful, and (as Tim O’Reilly stresses) important work, and then we want to give you the practical tools, tips, and techniques to do follow your inspiration. Yossi Vardi, Saul Klein, and Martin Varsavsky have a broad perspective on the state of Web 2.0, startups, and innovation across Europe. We balance that forward insight with more practical discussions of how Web 2.0 is really changing companies and individuals, and how the two work together in this new world.

Viel Spaß auf der Web2.0 Expo 2008 & WONG THE WEB!

Der Beitrag wurde am Freitag, den 10. Oktober 2008 um 10:20 Uhr veröffentlicht und wurde unter Allgemein, Interviews abgelegt. Du kannst die Kommentare zu diesen Eintrag durch den RSS 2.0 Feed verfolgen. Du kannst einen Kommentar schreiben, oder einen Trackback auf deiner Seite einrichten.