Work

Silicon Utopias: The making of a tech startup ecosystem in Manchester (UK)

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: ‘Silicon utopias’, the hope for a green, affluent and happy future through the creation of new tech-businesses, are today informing many urban development processes globally. In this contribution, I look at the recent remodeling of Manchester (Northern England) as an entrepreneurial city. In particular, I present a specific government investment scheme and its relation to the work of a group of local lobbyists who have been promoting a new tech startup community in the city since 2012. Stemming from this empirical example, I explore the interplay between local entrepreneurial dreams and the state’s promotion of startups. The paper concludes with the argument that an anthropologically informed concept of cynicism can contribute to a nuanced reading of silicon utopias and dystopias.

Source: DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)

Author: Richard Pfeilstetter

Institution: Universidad de Sevilla

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Industries and Urban Development

Subfield: Urban Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W4386590896

FWCI:

Cites:

Cited by: 3

Related to: 10