UK Plans Tech Cluster, Startup Visa, Review Of IP Law, £200M In Finance

How about "Silicon Ditch?" "Silicon Roundabout" is one name that has stuck for the tech cluster around the ugly traffic circle in the Old Street area of Shoreditch, East London. I think "Silicon Ditch" is catchier and maybe articulates the British penchant for self-deprecation better...

I think it's great that the government are trying to catalyse stuff, but it'd be fantastic if they would scatter some money OUTSIDE OF BLOODY LONDON.

Why this won't work: You can't build a startup cluster to "renew an area".

It doesn't work like that. Old Street works because the location is decent (safe and well connected), it's cheap and the other companies there. The area has to attract people who want to work there and you can't artificially build that.

The location they're proposing put this new tech area goes through the area known as "murder mile". Yes it's cheap, but it's high crime rate means startups aren't going to locate there. It would be like trying to build a startup cluster in the Bronx because it's near the NY startup community.

£200M in finance: Because nobody knows the VC game like pencil-pushing bureaucrats.