What drives the global clustering of software startups? And why do some societies withstand crises while others unravel?
Two newly funded research projects tackle these questions by combining large-scale data with the tools of complexity science.
|| SKILLS AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF SOFTWARE STARTUPS
Why does software development concentrate in just a few regions like Silicon Valley or Bangalore — despite remote work, cloud services, and digital collaboration? Frank Neffke’s project investigates the role of local talent pools, specialized skills, and regional dynamics in shaping the success of software startups. It is supported through the 2025 netidee SCIENCE Award, Austria’s highest privately funded prize for excellent online research, awarded by the Internet Stiftung through the FWF.
Together with his team, Neffke analyzes extensive digital trace data from platforms such as GitHub and Stack Overflow to map the programming skills of millions of developers and link them to the performance of young software firms. The project aims to reveal how startups build their teams, which regional capabilities support innovation, and how these factors influence value creation and labor markets in the digital economy.
Interested in learning more? Check out the Transforming Economies research topic.
|| ASSESSING THE RESILIENCE OF HISTORICAL AND MODERN SOCIETIES
Societies face recurring shocks — from climate change and pandemics to displacement, inflation, and supply chain disruptions. This project examines why some societies adapt and others experience unrest or breakdown.
Turchin and his team combine systemic and individual-level perspectives on collective behaviour in mathematical and statistical frameworks. Using unique datasets such as the Seshat Historical Databank and CrisisDB, they aim to identify core drivers of resilience, the conditions that lead to instability, and the limits of our ability to predict social dynamics.
By comparing historical and modern societies, the research evaluates how factors such as industrialization, demographic change, communication technologies, and environmental constraints shape the capacity for effective collective action.
Interested in learning more? Check out the Social Complexity & Collapse research topic.
