That time when a Conservative government 'picked a winner' in the nascent British computer industry, the BBC was mandated to expand its remit beyond broadcasting, and we all ended up carrying the results around in our pockets. The past is a different future.
https://arstechnica.com/features/2020/12/how-an-obscure-british-pc-maker-invented-arm-and-changed-the-world/
https://arstechnica.com/features/2020/12/how-an-obscure-british-pc-maker-invented-arm-and-changed-the-world/
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I was listening to an economics podcast about why the UK struggles to create large businesses these days. Said we don't produce great managers of large orgs. Same for football as it happens.
The other thing in the US is a different attitude to risk, and hence funding. The Government didn't pick the Acorn machine, but guarantee funding which allowed Acorn to take more risks.
(I'm against the notion that anyone can "pick winners" - the strategy that won in the 80's was having an environment where many people could compete, and from that a winner emerged)