Flying houses, etc. – How the US is reinventing itself with innovations

Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had done everything they could to harm their countries. Putin has succeeded. Trump didn’t make it the first time: the US is just reinventing itself. The fabled land of impossibilities has always been characterized by the ability to constantly reinvent itself.

“Hover-City” builds flying residential modules
The setting is a suburb of the Texas capital Austin: the young start-up ICON produces the house from a 3D printer – from one source! The architect “draws” the digital specification on the floor. Then a huge frame pushes itself over the construction site and pours some kind of mortar against the walls. Or the start-up “Hover-City” is making houses up in the air – using drones. For example, prefabricated housing modules can be flown quickly to disaster locations.

Or the start-up “Kodiak Robotics” (market value already 750 million dollars), in which the two young Austrians Andreas Wendel and Michael Wiesinger work. They are currently testing self-driving trucks on the highways, which already have a million kilometers on the clock and have already delivered to 1,500 customers.

Texas is increasingly competing with Silicon Valley
Texas is able to lure more and more high-tech industry away from California’s Silicon Valley and attract new start-ups. Governor Greg Abbott explains to Governor Mikl-Leitner of Lower Austria: “Low taxes, good universities, quality of life.”

Laura Hoffman of the Austin Chamber of Commerce (nicknamed “Silicon Hills”): “We are America’s fastest growing city, the city of invention. What happens here changes the world,” she adds with the modesty that is so typical of Texans: “We like everything a little bigger here.” Laptop and Lederhosen”. Austin also conveys the message: “People matter”.

Affordable housing has reached its limits in California’s “old” Silicon Valley. San Francisco has become so expensive that it now has the highest number of homeless people. Austin won’t be as affordable for much longer as it is now.

Cultural change to “constructive capitalism”
Next stop: University of Texas (13 Nobel laureates). Two start-ups present their proposed solutions for a clean environment. For Texas, this means saying goodbye to the traditional oil and gas industry. The new economic culture must be oriented towards ‘constructive capitalism’.

Change of location to Denver, Colorado: The “Ball” company already produces 90 percent of all super-thin aluminum cans in the world, including for Red Bull. Today the focus is on the sustainability strategy. Recycling is more environmentally friendly than glass. Globally, 69 percent is recycled (target: 90 percent by 2030), but only 46 percent in the US (excluding California, 78 percent).

Whether called “Capital Factory” or “Plug and Play”, the secret to American digital success lies in the system of invention platforms, backed by venture capitalists. They guide young start-ups, help them on their way and bring them to the market.

Every tenth start-up is successful
Plug and Play CEO Amir Amidi (Iranian) in Sunnyvale, California: “We are Silicon Valley in pocket size. Since 2006 we have found investors for 1600 start-ups. We guide 200 start-ups every year and ten percent are successful. Our 150 “scouts” (talent scouts) are looking for valuable start-ups worldwide.”

Award: Stanford University at Palo Alto (30 Nobel laureates). It is not only the heart and brain of Silicon Valley, but also aims to surpass everything in green engagement today. Professor Friedrich Prinz from Austria provides insights and perspectives: 16,000 students, only 5% of applicants are accepted, annual budget of six billion dollars with a foundation capital of 37 billion dollars. Prof. dr. Prinz refutes the misconception that the university is the production location for start-ups: “We only do fundamental research.”

Nevertheless, this university became the hotbed of the California digital marvel – by school leavers like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg.