Such has been the success of Silicon Valley in supporting technology startups, they have spawned countless imitators around the world, each of whom try to tap into that magic sauce. It's fair to say that few of these efforts have come close to matching the success of Silicon Valley, and a recent study from Wharton sets out to explore why that is.
The researchers focused their attention on the impact trade secrecy plays, and how the best bits of innovation are protected from prying eyes. The researchers believe this kind of activity happens even before legal protection is sought via patents. They believe that patents tend to be the focus of academic attention because they're so visible, whereas strategies for protecting trade secrets tend not to be.