>That's the tragedy of the government-backed tech in France. You also have a lot of very skilled tech companies there, but they are not the ones getting government support to grow further.

That's almost an universal tragedy.

The good techies, the innovative engineers or the avant-garde researchers... Typically, the one doing the work... are generally not the one doing outreach, going around in convention, networking, making connections with politicians.... And getting Grants.

On the other side, many conference/convention/"one-man-show" dudes are generally much better to talk than to produce anything useful.

Their is a million of example of that, in both side of the Atlantic ocean.

I would say it is less tragic in America, mainly because there is a Venture Capitalism culture there that Europe do not have.