4 Overlooked Tech Hubs Making An Impact
Written by Janelle Flemming, Social Media Coordinator at Bynder, and Contributor for ATECH
The tech scene is not just all about San Francisco, London, New York City, or Berlin. Many cities and countries are seeing the effect a tech ecosystem can have in diversifying the economy and creating new and exciting opportunities. We’ve decided to jot down some of the cities and places that are emerging as alternative tech hubs around the globe and that are changing the industry. These emerging tech hubs have brought new developments and innovation such as ground-breaking solar-power initiatives, entire streets housing a bustling community of tech start-ups, to digital societies and (and I’m loving this idea)… creative tech industries right next to the beach. Here some of the tech hubs that are making an impact.
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Eindhoven is synonymous to the tech giant Philips, which was founded and still manufactures it products in the city. More recent we are seeing a different type of activity taking the spotlight and the city is starting to come out of the tech giant’s shadow, and becoming one of the Netherlands top tech destinations for startups and investors.
Being recognised for their High Tech Campus, which is home to 125 companies and 10,000 researchers and entrepreneurs on site, where else would you go for a high-tech madness like this? With The Netherlands having their annual Dutch Technology week and being the heart of Startup Fest Europe in 2016, Eindhoven hosted its very own two-day festival around the event. So if you want to be surrounded by a km2 area with pancakes and “bitterballen,” innovation and tech, there’s no better place to do this than in Eindhoven.
Lisbon, Portugal
Looking to enjoy incredible coastline sceneries in a city with its historical charms and get your entrepreneurial engines going? Lisbon isn’t just for holiday sightseers anymore. The city is currently undergoing a huge entrepreneurial renaissance. The country has seen roughly 35,000 new companies established just last year. If you think about it, that is close to 100 new companies a day!
With a growing English-speaking workforce, Lisbon’s entrepreneurial scene is booming. Startup Lisboa, a Portuguese incubator founded in 2011, supports the creation of companies and start-ups and tracks their first years of activity. Startup Lisboa aims to connect startups with investors, strategic partners, and potential customers. Lisbon is also host to startup weekends and the world-renowned conference Web Summit, one of the biggest and most influential conferences for entrepreneurship, start-ups, tech, and innovation in the world. Lisbon is definitely a tech hub to be watched.
Chile
The rise of ‘Chilecon Valley’ took Chileños from relying on sparse natural commodities to shifting its focus to find other, more innovative sources of income. Being an active member of the tech world is highly important for a country where so many industries are affected by potential natural disasters common to the region, as it offers a stable and promising commercial market. Thanks to initiatives such as ‘Start-Up Chile’ and a drive to participate as being an active member in tech developments around the globe, Chile has evolved as a must-go destination for any tech start-up wanting to operate out of South America. Chile’s economy is ranked as one of the most stable and open countries in Latin America as of this moment.
Last year, Startup Chile’s executive director Rocio Fonseca, said that the program brings around 300 companies a year, from all over the world to Santiago. Since the program started in 2010, Chile is benefiting from the progress, which has contributed over $40 million to the economy. These government-backed entrepreneurship programs have benefitted over 200,000 Chileans and have a positive effect on the Chilean economy.
Aruba, One Happy (Tech) Island
Aruba is not just for escaping cold winters and spending spring break with your buddies. Imagine taking a dip in the sea to clear your mind and get your creative juices flowing. The startup scene in Aruba is on the rise, and the local Arubans are hungry for technology. Hosting their very own annual tech conference, ATECH is a place where tech enthusiasts, marketing professionals, and entrepreneurs from around the world come together to exchange best practices, get inspired, while at the same time, doing some networking on the beach.
ATECH’s co-founder, Tristan Every, said during the “The Caribbean Melting Pot Panel” at SXSW: “The switch of mentality about how we now think about technology, is something that is very promising for such a small island.” As if being invited to SXSW, one of the world’s largest gathering in the tech industry, isn’t enough, ATECH has been named in the top 15 global tech conference to visit in 2016 in Forbes. Everything ATECH does revolves around the creation of a tech hub for startups and promoting Aruba and the Caribbean as such.
And that’s not all. With Brenchie’s Lab, (a makerspace for everything IoT) co.lab Workspace (Aruba’s first co-working office), the Central Bank of Aruba’s ‘Future of Banking’ conference and plans to modernize payment systems, the future looks bright for this tech gem in the Caribbean.
Great places to discover if you haven’t visited already. Is there any other city or country we might have overlooked? Share your treasure with us!
