[spiralpolitik]

Some counter points:

ARM originated at a European company (Acorn/Olivetti).

Bluetooth originated at a European Company (Ericsson)

Psion, Nokia, and Ericsson invented what would be considered the basics of the Smartphone (via Symbian, Series 60 etc)

Spotify is a Swedish company.

Nokia and Ericsson produce a good amount of the telecoms infrastructure equipment.

While Europe certainly hasn't had a start-up culture on par with the US it hasn't been a complete slouch either.

[Detrytus]

Acorn was a British company, not European, and had significant help from Apple since 1980s. Nokia never really had any significant share of smartphone market once it took of. Nokia and Ericsson telecom infrastructure is inferior to Huawei's. I will give you Bluetooth and Spotify, but that's just a drop in a bucket.

[spiralpolitik]

Olivetti (an Italian company) took over Acorn in 1985. This was around the time the ARM processor was being developed. Acorn was in danger of going under at this time when one of their creditors bounced.

Apple didn't come along until much later.

[hifromwork]

>Acorn was a British company, not European

Last I've checked UK was firmly in Europe. I assume you meant something different, because literal interpretation makes no sense to me. Can you clarify?

[Detrytus]

Sorry, I meant it more like UK is in many regards more similar to the US, than to the rest of Europe. I mean stuff like common law vs civil law, the way you start/grow your business, access to financing, etc.