Cambridge Phenomenon
The Cambridge Phenomenon is the label for the explosion of technology, life-science and service companies in and around Cambridge since 1960. The term was coined by Peta Levi in a Financial Times article in November 1980, and it has stuck as the standard name for the cluster's story.
In practice
The milestones behind the label are concrete. Cambridge Consultants, founded in 1960 by two Cambridge graduates, is treated as the catalyst; following the Mott Report at the end of the 1960s, Trinity College decided in 1970 to create what became the Cambridge Science Park, and St John's Innovation Centre followed to house fledgling firms. The University Library now documents the whole arc through its Cambridge History of Innovation Project, an archive of company records and oral histories from the 1960s to the present.
Why it matters to newcomers
The Phenomenon is the city's founding story and business credential in one: investors cite it, guides promise it, newcomers are expected to admire it. Knowing the 1980 coinage and the 1960 starting point lets you tell the story straight instead of gesturing at "800 years of innovation". Our cluster guide traces the same arc with company names and numbers.
Related
- Silicon Fen - the cluster as it stands today
- Spin-out - the company-formation engine behind it
- Silicon Fen: Cambridge tech cluster guide
Sources: The Cambridge Phenomenon; Cambridge History of Innovation Project.