From: Christian Simm, San Francisco < >
Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2002 14:56:32 -0800

Dear Pascal,

I wish you great success with your project ... but be carefull with a
commonly made error. The computer mouse has NOT been invented by
Logitech, and not in Switzerland. The real inventors are Doug Engelbart,
Stuart Card and Bill English of Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC)
and Stanford Research Institute (SRI), in the Silicon Valley.

It was Prof. Niklaus Wirth (ETHZ) who brought the idea for that new
interface to Switzerland. He asked Prof. Jean-Daniel Nicoud (EPFL) to
build a few prototypes, who were eventually seen by Daniel Borel and
Pierluigi Zappacosta (the Logitech co-founders).

For more just check our website about the event we organized October
2002 on the subject :
http://www.sciencelink.org/topic/computerhistory_03.htm

Best regards,
Christian

Pascal Marmier wrote:

>Dear All,
>
>This list has unfortunately not been active for a while. Of course, the
>economic environment does not make it easy for first-time entrepreneurs, but
>there is still a healthy rate of company creation at research institutions
>across the country. At the same time, I feel there is more interest among
>decision-makers to understand and foster an entrepreneurial-friendly
>environment in Switzerland. One of the frequently cited reason for our lack
>of visionary entrepreneurs is the absence of role models in our country. It
>might be true if we look at recent years, but I thought I would ask around
>what you Swiss Listers think... and more importantly who do you think should
>be added to the Swiss entrepreneurs' hall of fame.
>
>I will give a presentation on Swiss (and European) entrepreneurship at a
>local college soon and have tried to find surprising examples of Swiss
>entrepreneurship. Here is my list of "entrepreneurial stories":
>
>1) Logitech, Daniel Borel and the mouse being invented at EPFL.
>A great example of an invention that was invented in Switzerland and ...
>marketed in the US! Logitech was recently featured as one of the fastest
>growing company in the US while remaining HQed in Switzerland.
>
>2) Nestle
>Many people in the US believe that Nestle is a US company. Although German,
>Nestle built his own company in Switzerland and came up with the innovative
>milk powder for babies in Vevey.
>
>3) Sandoz Family
>I want to mention Novartis that is in the headlines every day here with the
>opening of their largest research center. The Sandoz family has a long
>tradition of innovation in the pharma industry since Edouard started the
>company. They have diversified, successfully, in a lot of fields including
>financial services and media.
>
>..
>
>I am looking for additional ones (for example in the financial industry!),
>so please help me!
>
>Thanks,
>
>-- Pascal
>_____________________________________
>
>Pascal Marmier
>SHARE - Swiss House Boston
>Consulate of Switzerland
>Advisor, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
>420 Broadway
>Cambridge, MA 02138
>Direct: (617) 876-3076 ext. 13
>Fax: (617) 876-3079
>Cell: (617) 331-3989
>EMail: pascal_at_creativeswitzerland.com
>
>Web: www.CreativeSwitzerland.com and
>www.sni-rsi.ch
>______________________________________
>
>
>
>
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>
>

-- 
_______________________________________________________________
Christian Simm, PhD
Counselor for Science & Technology
Swiss Science & Technology Office for Western USA and Western Canada
456 Montgomery Street, Suite 1500
San Francisco, CA 94104 (USA)
phone : (415) 788-2272, extension 107 (direct) or 0 (operator)
fax : (415) 788-1402
e-mail : christian.simm_at_sciencelink.org
website : http://www.sciencelink.org
_______________________________________________________________
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