Why would a Washington, D. C.-based think tank that focuses on foreign and security policy be interested in cities such as Boulder, Colorado or Austin, Texas? Why would its staff want to spend time in places like Madison, Wisconsin talking to residents about local issues, including city and state government policies, local culture and regional business practices?
The answer is that cities such as these are worth understanding because they and other “tech hubs” like California’s Bay Area (of which Silicon Valley is a part) are the cutting edge of America’s knowledge economy. The United States enjoys its position as the world’s economic, scientific, and military leader precisely because these places are key to the U. S. innovation ecosystem, the engine that churns out the nation’s scientific discoveries, breakthrough technologies, and commercially valuable products.
