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ShareSAN JOSE, Calif. - Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton spoke the language of Silicon Valley on Thursday when she laid out an “innovation” plan to the valley’s high-tech leaders aimed at creating new jobs, encouraging math and science education, and “bringing the information age to every corner of the country.”
“Call this version 1.0 of my innovation agenda,” the former first lady and New York senator said, suggesting a partnership with the group to “tweak it and fine tune it.”
As part of her nine-point plan, Clinton said she would create a $50 billion energy research agency to reduce energy dependence and the threat of global warming; increase the research budgets of the National Science Foundation, and increase investment in research at the National Institute of Health.
“A culture that values and invests in ideas is part and parcel of the promise of America. And we have always supported that culture with public investment,” Clinton told a group of CEOs and executives gathered at a Silicon Valley Leadership Group meeting at Applied Materials in Santa Clara, Calif. “The fire that was sparked here in this valley has made such a difference, but it can’t be allowed to sputter out.”
The New York senator said she supports increasing the number of foreign born high-tech workers allowed into the country as well as providing tax incentives to encourage broadband deployment in under served areas of the country and encouraging new technology in renewable energy.
“It’s clear from her remarks today, she’s in tune with what Silicon Valley is looking for,” said Joe Pon, vice president of corporate affairs for Applied Materials, the company that hosted the event. “As with anybody, it will be interesting to see what priorities they set when they get in office. But we’re not going to let them off the hook.”
Clinton addressed about 200 high-tech CEOs and executives at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s annual “business climate summit.”
She also attended a luncheon at a Palo Alto hotel, where 800 guests paid between $250 and $1,000 to listen to her discuss a broad range of issues.
Just before her speech, she spent about a half hour with a more intimate gathering of about a dozen members of the leadership group. There, Clinton discussed three issues at the forefront of high-tech industry: green and renewable energy, patent reform and protection and H1B visas for foreign-born engineers.
“She was listening, highly informed and there was a great deal of commonality in the importance of these goals,” said Ken Kannappan, president and CEO of Plantronics, a headset maker. “I thought she was very sincere.”
For the past couple of months, a stream of presidential candidates have spent time in Silicon Valley, with four of them speaking at Google headquarters in Mountain View.
But Carl Guardino, the CEO of the leadership group, said it’s time the candidates stop considering Silicon Valley their “ATM machine” and started making deposits.
Clinton received a round of applause when she said she supports increasing the current cap on H1B visas. She advocated relaxing green card restrictions of engineers “so they don’t go home.”
Guardino pointed out that 53 percent of all engineers in Silicon Valley are foreign born and three of 10 new jobs are created by foreign born CEOs.
On another topic, the Democratic frontrunner called her renewable energy plan, “energy 2.0,” suggesting that instead of “leading in foreign oil imports, we should be leading in green-tech exports.”
“There’s no reason we should be subsiding oil discovery and exploration,” she said. “Winning the 21st century energy race is as important as winning the 20th century space race.”
Clinton also discussed overhauling the health care system to help not only the uninsured, but the under-insured.
“I have no illusions of how hard this will be,” she said, “but I think we finely have a critical mass” of support.
More students need to be encouraged to study math and science, she said. Fewer that 20 percent of American undergraduates earn degrees in science and engineering, compared with 50 percent in China.
Perhaps the tech industry can learn from reality TV shows, she said with a chuckle.
“Think of a series to bring real sex appeal” science and math, she said.
She also proposed federal tax incentives to bring broadband to all areas of the country.
“What the railroads were to 19th century innovation, the broadband should be to the 21st century,” she said. “It’s critical if we expect to connect-up our country.”
