High-Tech in Israel

April 2, 2008

by Daniel E. Levenson

While Israel is perhaps most often in the news these days for less-than-happy reasons, there was one event this past weekend at Temple Beth-Elohim in Wellesley, Massachusetts, that drew a large crowd of people focusing on positive news coming out of Israel. Organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council, the “Innovation in Israel @ 60” symposium focused on the growing high-tech sector of Israel’s economy.

With a range of speakers covering the life sciences, information technology and energy, the symposium sought to provide Boston-area residents with an overall picture of one of one of the most vibrant high-tech economies in the world. Despite the presence of two individuals holding a Palestinian flag standing on the main road outside the synagogue where the event was held, the overall tone of the event was overwhelmingly positive and did not focus on terrorism or the conflict.

Nadav Tamir, Consul General of Israel to New England, told the audience that while many of his speaking engagements focused on the political and security situation in Israel, it was nice to be able to discuss some of the good things that are happening there. “We have to widen the lens about our discussion on Israel,” Mr. Tamir said.

The Keynote speech was delivered by David Anthony, a Managing Partner at 21 Ventures and a major investor in Israeli high-tech companies. Mr. Anthony talked about the overall health of the Israeli economic “ecosystem,” outlining the various assets and characteristics that make Israel such a great place not only for discovery and innovation, but for investment as well. He cited the overall excellent system of higher education and the high number of PhD’s and individuals with Master’s degrees as one of the main factors in Israel’s success in high-tech. “Everyone knows there’s a tremendous amount of brain power in Israel,” Mr. Anthony said.

He also cited the importance of the existence of the Office of the Chief Scientist of Israel, a government agency that is responsible for providing funds to private companies for research and development. The office also lends a hand by providing seed money and through a special program of “technological incubators,” that provide resources to help new companies grow. Mr. Anthony also noted that the strength of the Israeli legal system when it comes to patent registration and protection is another quality that attracts investors to Israel. He did note a few possible downsides, however, including “brain drain” of top Israeli scientists to the United States.

In his closing remarks, JCRC deputy director Alan Ronkin told the audience that he was excited to be able to participate in an event that focused on the positive things happening in Israel, and emphasized that while the Jewish community needs to continue to advocate for Israel in traditional ways, that new ways must also be found.