Please click the below link in order to listen to the podcast

http://www.garageband.com/mp3player?|pe1|WdjZPXLrvP2rYVWzZW9hBA

The Microsoft Research Cambridge is the 6th research center operated by Microsoft. It has more than 100 top researchers and working on the below areas:

• Computational Science
• Computer-Mediated Living
• Cambridge Innovation Development
• Constraint Reasoning
• Machine Learning and Perception
• Online Services and Advertising
• Programming, Principles, and Tools
• Systems and Networking

The reason why the new research center can attract so many young talented scientists is because Microsoft offers incentives to them. Here are some examples of their incentive programs.

• Scholarships for PhD students
• Awards and fellowships
• Support for visiting lecturers and faculty
• Sponsorship of international conferences and workshops

A good leader is also crucial for the development of the research center. Andrew Herbert is the Distinguished Engineer and Managing Director at Microsoft Research Cambridge. Under his leadership, the research center’s goal is to “create software technologies that improve the way the world works, plays, and relaxes.”

(Picture of Andrew Herbert)

Having the goal in mind, scientists are not restricted to any product life cycles and project management; they can literally do whatever they want. “Blue sky” pure research is strongly recommended and supported under Microsoft’s goal and objective. Microsoft believes the true innovative design only comes when all the business/marketing pressures are taken away, so that scientists can expand their creative thoughts.

Wavefront provides affordable renting services for recent models. It is $10 per day for a phone and $25 per day for a phone plus unlimited data plan. The major target market for this service is companies developing mobile applications. Those companies need to test their new applications before they launch the applications to the market.

Due to the emerging needs in the BC wireless cluster, Wavefront has enough demand to support their business. The cost for the phones and fixed costs are easily covered by the high demand. Thanks to the wireless cluster, supply and demand are brought together and benefit each other so that the cluster grow at a faster pace.

If you are interested in the service, you may want to visit this link.

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One of the current partnership is between Wavefront and Mob4Hire. Wavefront is a community-based commercialization center and Mob4Hire is a service provider who does mobile application testing using Web 2.0 social networking technologies. The partnership between the two companies can benefit almost 1000 wireless and new media development companies located around the BC wireless cluster.

The major problem for those wireless development companies is that the testing cost and time for their new inventions. Mob4Hire provides testings accross different handsets, platforms and networks. It is relatively less expensive for Mob4Hire to provide those testing services versus individual companies do it themselves.

For more details regarding the partnership, news can be found in this link.

http://www.bctechnology.com/scripts/display_news.cfm?id=27611&CFID=577274&CFTOKEN=19177273

For more information about this cluster, please go to the below link.
http://www.winbc.org/

One of the reason why this wireless cluster is attractive for companies, espeically new and small & medium enterprises, is that the cluster is closely connected and supported by the BC government. The BC government injects $350 million to the cluster each year. On top of that, the government also seek high-tech supply from members in the clusters, in order to attain a win-win situation.

A couple days ealier, Pocket Place, a mobile tour guide developer, launches its new mobile web application, Pocket Cambridge. The Pocket Cambridge’s website is very cool as it allows users to click on the iPhone screen and nagvigate through the application the same way the application works on a mobile phone. Another good news about the new application is that it is FREE!

Base on the popularity of this application, it shows that the public in Cambridge area is highly adapted to wireless devices and integrates them into daily life. It is also an indicator of how successful the Cambridge Wireless cluster is.

The below URL is a press release and it provides more information about the Pocket Cambridge.

Let your mobile phone take you on a tour of Cambridge!

SIGs stands for Special Interest Groups. It is important to maintain those SIGs as each group has its own focus and spcaialize in a particular area. With all the experts joint together, the group is able to access to the toppest and latest news and technolory, as well as knowledge and human resources that cannot be found in other places.

Among all the SIGs, the “handset SIG” interests me. The handset SIG is formed by Abhi Naha from Onyx Innovation and Peter Whale from Qualcomm and other companies including Nokia.

Events and seminors are held regularly and they are free for members who are in the Cambridge Wireless cluster. An upcoming event is Joint Handset and Location SIGs, “Is Location on the Map? Monetizing Location Based Services”. The half-day event is scheduled on 16th July, 2009. It is free for members but £150.00 plus VAT for non-members. The price of the event indicates how valuable the information shared in this event is and why companies that want to be on the top of this industry should become a member of Cambridge Wireless.

In Finland, there is a high-tech wireless cluster located in the Espoo area.

One of the reason towards that cluster’s success is the supporting system – University of OULU.

University of OULU is known for its excellent research and science programs, namely IT & mathematics. In addition, the university welcomes international students to study, since they want the to bring in new ideas and value international intelligence. Lastly, the Finland government pays for students tuition, which strongly encourages students to further their studies.

With the help of the above three factors, the Finland Wireless Valley has a sustainable growth potential as there is a well-established educational institution to train and nurture new blood. It is crucial for the cluster; without the right skill set of people, the cluster will gradually die off.

Singapore Science Park

The below is a short introduction video about the Singapore Science Park.

To view the video, please click here.

The Singapore Science Park is equipped with support structures. One of the supporting program is the Ascendas Global Access Card Program. The program provides its member with access to Business Support offices in 12 cities globally. Global Business Insights, one of Ascendas’ partners and an IE Singapore subsidiary fund the program in the hope of supporting all Ascendas’ Singapore tenants and providing business support services to companies exploring new opportunities internationally.