Politicians in Technology: the case of Michael Bloomberg and Tony Blair
By Dean • May 26th, 2010 • Category: Industry News
- Photo: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons
It’s been some time since technology and computing was the domain of geeks, limited to only a small subset of technically inclined people. Now, even the politicians realise the sway aligning technology and politics can have on their jurisdiction’s prospects (and influence on voters). Enter Michael Bloomberg and Tony Blair, who have taken different routes to tackling similar issues.
Bloomberg creating New York tech hub
Billionaire owner of Bloomberg and New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, spoke at the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference happening in his city recently. He believed that the next major tech wave will happen in New York, and not in the territories of the usual suspects – Silicon Valley and Boston. Citing New York’s diverse cultural landscape, coupled with fashion and the prevalence of both advertising and media occupations, Bloomberg thinks his city is the perfect home for anybody forming a technology startup.
Literally putting his money where his mouth is, Mayor Bloomberg announced Venture Firm First Mark Capital had teamed with the city to form a $22 million (about £14.3 million) fund to drive NYC entrepreneurism.
Tony Blair investing in Green Tech
- Photo: World Economic Forum / Wikimedia Commons
A little closer to Britain, former prime minister Tony Blair has joined VC firm Khosla Ventures as a public policy advisor. Khosla, who focus primarily on green and environmental technology, look to leverage Blair’s globe-spanning relationships to best maximise their portfolio companies’ chances of success. Blair, on the other hand, who has long been an advocate for the environment and climate care, hopes this technology and politics combo will help him further his personal agenda.
Mixing technology and politics isn’t anything new, since that’s how the military has operated for years, but to see a deliberate shift towards more commercial and consumer-orientated technological support is encouraging on both Blair and Bloomberg’s parts.
