A catalyst for research, our innovation unites academia, private initiatives and government agencies.
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2016-2017 Global Competitiveness Report , Israel is the second most innovative country in the world. The study ranked 138 countries in terms of competitiveness, and Israel moved up three steps this year, to hold a place in the top 25.
It’s well known that Israel has the largest number of start-ups per capita in the world, including more than 2,000 which were founded in the past decade. But Israel is also home to more than 350 R&D centers of some of the world’s largest multinational corporations, such as Microsoft, Apple and Google. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has commented that “Israel is a nation that sanctifies innovation. We’ve achieved great heights, but we cannot stop now; we want to continue climbing.”
Intel is a great example of a company who cannot do without Israeli innovation. The company created its first foreign R&D center in Israel more than 40 years ago, and the president of Intel Israel, Maxine Fassberg has said openly that “we’re after the talent and the creativity of the Startup Nation. Israel is crucial to Intel. Intel cannot do without the geniuses here in Israel.” Intel have recently opened an IoT lab in Israel, which is also an incubator for start-ups in this field.
But don’t take our word for it, try Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, who complimented Israel as “the most important high-tech center in the world after the US.”
The Israeli economy is remarkably resilient, and despite its youth, the country has made significant strides in terms of global impact. We have enjoyed consecutive years of GDP growth, as well as boasting a 5% unemployment rate which is one of the world’s lowest.
When it comes to academia, Israel is ranked fourth in the world for research personnel, with the highest number of PhDs per capita anywhere else globally. This ecosystem provides the most fertile of soils for research and innovation alike.
From cutting edge biomedical engineering, to technology breakthroughs, fintech and the smart revolution, Israel is consistently at the cusp of the next big thing. So we ask you, what’s next?