Accelerating Futures - Past & Current Combined

Currently it is the 3rd day of SEMICON Europa 2011, Europe's largest fair on semiconductor industries (and adjacent fields, that reach well into the creative space, OLEDs as just one example). Silicon Saxony so to say the host of the future.

"There will be no future without microelectronics!" as Stanislaw Tillich, Ministerpräsident of the Free State of Saxony coined it at the press conference on Tuesday out here at MESSE DRESDEN where 'Slaughterhouse Five'.

As Saxony is a true hot bed of hightech innovation, and has a legacy in social change (just remember the days of the 'Soft Revolution' of the year 1989 in the GDR when the citizens of Dresden played also a major role in making the transition possible), this also attracted a friend from Japan. A few days earlier Motohiro, until yesterday "only" a Facebook-friend, announced his coming, so it was quite natural to tell him to apply as visitor for SEMICON Europa 2011. Announcement by Motohiro, that touchdown in Dresden has been completed - THE BALL OF CONNECTING THE WORLD IS ROLLING!

Quelle: Mediaserver DMG

Meeting at 9 o'clock sharp, with Dresden October rain pooring down, once again an international surprise encounter. After months of FB connections, Likes, and sharing knowledge originally generated by dear friends Bert-Ola (Sweden), and Inma (Spain) finally came together in meeting in person at one of the most internationally sparked places in Dresden: Starbucks Dresden Altmarkt. Tuning in, getting accustomed to each other's speed of thinking, and acting, getting reading for take off to MESSE DRESDEN. On the way through the rain, a short detour through Zwinger, Theaterplatz, and checking Semperoper for tickets that night. What might be on? - 'Un ballo in maschera' (a story about the 'blind spot' of management; that is how I see it by now) is on. So as Motohiro is just one day in Dresden, taking the chance (even though that is my third (!) visit to it. We decide to make it on last minute - one never knows what interesting encounters could happen while at SEMICON Europa 2011.

A most inspiring day with Motohiro around the conference, learning more about semiconductor industry via him. The day seemed to accelerate already. It peaked (for the first time) when my eye caught notice of a clean room visit to Fraunhofer IPMS at 4:30pm ("Oh, would we make it to Semperoper at 7pm?" - challenges to be on the move ;-)). A very personal tour through the facilities at Fraunhofer IPMS in the compound area, where Silicon Saxony had some of their roots well before the year 1989.

6:15pm -time is running, 'Un ballo in maschera' is starting in 45 min (sharp, this opera house is clearly a lean facility, always amazed on the precision. "Will we make it?"is racing my mind. A taxi is arranged a couple of minutes later by colleagues and off we go - whooosh to downtown Dresden.

5 (!) min to the start. Tickets on forth level (actually best choice if you'd fond of experiencing the complete roundview of the play on stay - every time again I am amazed what insight one gets from up their, despite the distance) and we are sneaking in just seconds before the lights go off. The house is full and remembering the reviews on the premiere at 30th of September are long forgotten. The play is once again amazing, and even visitors from Berlin whom we by accident got in contact were thrilled by the modern play. [More on the performance in separate blog post].

As the day had not yet given enough, the evening finished with a light supper at MAX next door. Only to take separate ways shortly around 0:30am - only to meet soon for sure. Perhaps already to Open Science Summit in Mountain View on 22./23. of October. I am invited there as blogger in residence, yet at the moment I lack the financials to make the flight over to California possible.

If somebody would approach me with a similar situation, I'd certainly not hesitate to fund the project. Who is currently in a better position as myself (currently working, yet not for money, global interdisciplinary connectors, AKA boundary spanners in the social network world, are not a common business role and paid yet), may indicate his/her willingness to support #InnoBay (of which the Open Science Summit is just one part).

Connecting across disciplines, technologies, arts, business, and education through bringing the word about Silicon Saxony & Dresden into the world especially Silicon Valley is my passion :)