DAY 2 IN SEATTLE - NEW GREAT DISCOVERIES
With only two days in this dynamic city it is important to select what to do. We strolled along the harbour front with its mixture of very elegant and tempting restaurants right at the water front and also of sort of run-down wild-west saloon bars with guests suited for them :-) It is a very hilly city, so walking is in many places very healthy, read: tough! We visited the Seattle Center with its theaters and its famous Space Needle, a tower from the World Fair here in 1962. Lots of nice activities in the park - except the awful sound from a strange Chinese oddly looking long and thin "guitar". The elderly player seemed to be the only one enjoying it!
We made a visit to the Belinda and Bill Gates Foundation. It explained in a very elegant way how they foundation is investing massively in the fight against diseases, in education, in equality for women, etc. Most of it in Africa, Asia and Latin America. A very important and positive way to use their enormous fortune gained in Microsoft. We were during the tour asked, what we would give priority, if we had a fortune like them. Liselotte wrote: Education, education education - and also efficient medical treatment for everybody. I - Niels - wrote: innovation, innovation, innovation - especially by full support to small and medium-sized enterprises, which have the biggest potential to make decisive progress. Giving priority to young people.
Let's see what happens!
We are finishing with coffee and a bite at the local Starbuck Cafe. Why there? Because also this world-wide company has its headquarters here in Seattle. Founded in 1971 - today with more than 23.000 cafes throughout the world.
My question leaving this great, dynamic city is very simple: When will we have a similar dynamic and innovative city in Europe? We have lots of potentials. Let's get going - using these potentials fully. The world's biggest market will be even stronger and even more innovative, if we together understand to use it - to build bridges instead of walls, to share our education and research instead of closing borders, to encourage young people to study and work in other countries, to build the world's fastest and best internet with access for all where ever they live, to share and protect all over common values in an intelligent and convincing way, and not least to treat all people wherever they come from, whatever colour they have, whatever religion they care for, whether they are poor or rich, young or old, women or men. It should even more than today be a top priority for us all in Europe not only to say that - but to show it in our daily life.
What made me say all that here? The last few days here in a country with an "America First" atmosphere you become even more European that you were before. Nationalism and in-ward looking must be things of the past! It is now for Europe to show the way ahead!
We made a visit to the Belinda and Bill Gates Foundation. It explained in a very elegant way how they foundation is investing massively in the fight against diseases, in education, in equality for women, etc. Most of it in Africa, Asia and Latin America. A very important and positive way to use their enormous fortune gained in Microsoft. We were during the tour asked, what we would give priority, if we had a fortune like them. Liselotte wrote: Education, education education - and also efficient medical treatment for everybody. I - Niels - wrote: innovation, innovation, innovation - especially by full support to small and medium-sized enterprises, which have the biggest potential to make decisive progress. Giving priority to young people.
Let's see what happens!
We are finishing with coffee and a bite at the local Starbuck Cafe. Why there? Because also this world-wide company has its headquarters here in Seattle. Founded in 1971 - today with more than 23.000 cafes throughout the world.
My question leaving this great, dynamic city is very simple: When will we have a similar dynamic and innovative city in Europe? We have lots of potentials. Let's get going - using these potentials fully. The world's biggest market will be even stronger and even more innovative, if we together understand to use it - to build bridges instead of walls, to share our education and research instead of closing borders, to encourage young people to study and work in other countries, to build the world's fastest and best internet with access for all where ever they live, to share and protect all over common values in an intelligent and convincing way, and not least to treat all people wherever they come from, whatever colour they have, whatever religion they care for, whether they are poor or rich, young or old, women or men. It should even more than today be a top priority for us all in Europe not only to say that - but to show it in our daily life.
What made me say all that here? The last few days here in a country with an "America First" atmosphere you become even more European that you were before. Nationalism and in-ward looking must be things of the past! It is now for Europe to show the way ahead!
Ja, du har ret: De kan noget . Det er ikke kun Settle, det er også Silicon Valley og en masse andre eksempler. Amerikanerne har en pragmatisk tilgang til iværksætteri, hvor tæt samarbejde mellem forskningsinstitution og iværksætteri har været afgørende for voldsomme resultater.
ReplyDeleteGod sejltur
Niels R