Most Americans have some idea that our university system, as expensive as it is, is still the envy of the world and a source of science and engineering innovation. But that wasn’t always so. Margaret O’Mara joins the show to discuss how these tech hubs developed in the mid-20th century through a combination of military funding and private research centers. The incentive for university-based research received another major boost in 1980, when Congress deregulated its patent holding policy.

This is the second in a three part series on the origins of Silicon Valley.

Why did California play such a surprising role in America’s innovation economy? How did World War II shape the growth of Silicon Valley? What is a non-compete agreement in an employer contract?

Further Reading:

The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America, written by Margaret O’Mara

Animated timeline shows how Silicon Valley became a $2.8 trillion neighborhood, written by Corey Protin, Matthew Stuart, and Matt Weinberger

The Origins of Silicon Valley: Why and How It Happened Here, Stanford Engineering

Related Content:

Immigrants Built Silicon Valley, Building Tomorrow Podcast

On Innovation: Don’t Ask for Permission, Building Tomorrow Podcast

Out of Poverty: Sweatshops in the Global Economy, Free Thoughts Podcast

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