Abstract
We concisely present the current Israeli innovation ecosystem to provide the required background for the description and analysis of Israeli national cybersecurity. National cybersecurity policies and specific national conditions are necessarily intertwined. Israeli national cybersecurity is best understood in context of the Israeli grand strategy.
The unique national innovation ecosystem Israel has been developing even prior to national independence, originates from the strategic principle of quality over quantity. The ecosystem is now comprised of the IDF service, domestic and foreign business R&D, defence R&D, public research universities, and government agencies. It is characterised by close geographical and institutional proximity, and by relative independence of the participating actors. The Israeli culture that encourages initiative, resourcefulness, and experimentation complements the institutional mechanisms.
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Notes
- 1.
It has the second highest ratio of higher education in the world.
- 2.
In 2000, Israel’s R&D intensity was already higher than 4 % and continued to increase until 2007 when it reached 4.84 %. It then fell to 4.2 % in 2012 – a value more than double the EU average.
- 3.
Power distance measures the distribution of power within a society in terms of the degree to which its members expect and accept inequality.
- 4.
The 82,000 Soviet-trained engineers joined the workforce of some Israeli 30,000 engineers often resulting in overqualified work placement.
- 5.
That is close to 1 % of the cohort every year.
- 6.
Another program, the Technologic Atuda involves technician or a practical engineer diploma; in this program the training is shorter and takes place in colleges instead of universities.
- 7.
The members pursue a BSc in Physics and Mathematics or Computer Science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in Air Force uniform while undergoing periods of field training designed to familiarize them with all branches of the IDF.
- 8.
- 9.
After the Six-Day War in June 1967, Charles de Gaulle’s government imposed an arms embargo on the region, mostly affecting Israel.
- 10.
The major defence corporations are Israel Aerospace Industries; RAFAEL; Elbit Systems and Israel Military Industries.
- 11.
Including Intel, IBM, Microsoft, Google, HP, Yahoo!, Facebook, Oracle, SAP, Cisco, Siemens, EMC.
- 12.
Most of the start-ups are in the IT sector, others are in medical devices, cleantech and green technology.
- 13.
In 1985, the past Chief of Staff of the Israel Air Force founded the first Israeli venture capital (VC) fund.
- 14.
A wealthy individual who provides capital for a business start-up.
- 15.
Accelerators are short-term programs in which entrepreneurs focus on training and mentorship to develop their business model.
- 16.
Formerly the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour.
- 17.
Incubators are programs, lasting for 1 to 2 years, designed to help startup companies in their early stages providing office space, administrative staff, as well as mentorship and networking with experts. Israel has about 20 incubators which are private enterprises highly financed by the government.
- 18.
One of the authors – Isaac Ben Israel – serves as the Chairman of the Molmop.
- 19.
Est. in 1955 BIU aims to forge closer links between Torah and universal studies.
- 20.
Est. in 1963.
- 21.
Est. in 1968 Israel’s largest and most comprehensive institution of higher education is home to over 30,000 students, half of them are graduate students, studying in nine faculties and over 125 schools and departments across the spectrum of sciences humanities and the arts. It ranks first in research output and first in citation impact among Israeli institutes. Both authors are affiliated with The Yuval Ne’eman Workshop, and the Blavatnik ICRC at TAU.
- 22.
Established in 1969 to promote the development of the Negev desert that comprises most of Israel’s land.
- 23.
Established in 1912, the Technion is the oldest university in Israel. It has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, life sciences, stem cells, water management, sustainable energy information, technology, biotechnology materials, engineering, aerospace, and industrial engineering. Three Technion professors have won Nobel Prizes in the past 9 years. It is one of the top 100 universities worldwide (Shanghai ranking) and one of the only 10 universities in the world to have designed, built, and launched satellites.
- 24.
Opened in 1925, among the HUJI founders were Albert Einstein, Martin Buber, and Chaim Weizmann. HUJI has had eight Nobel Prize winners and one Fields Medal winner in mathematics in recent years.
- 25.
WIS was founded originally as the Sieff Institute in 1934. The driving force behind its founding was Dr. Chaim Weizmann, a world-renowned chemist who headed the World Zionist Movement for many years and served as the first president of the State of Israel. At the University of Manchester, the Russian-born Weizmann developed a new biotechnological method to produce acetone from starch through a fermentation process. After patenting his invention in 1916, he offered it to the British Navy knowing that the navy required great quantities of acetone to produce explosives. Weizmann was appointed by Churchill to head the British Navy’s laboratories and was responsible for the successful production of acetone for the British war effort during WWI. The Balfour Declaration in 1917—the world’s first official diplomatic move recognising Zionism—is seen as the expression of British gratitude to the ardent Zionist. Three Nobel laureates and three Turing Award laureates have been associated with the Weizmann Institute of Science. Computer science in Israel began in 1947 at the Weizmann Institute before the creation of the state.
- 26.
Cooperation agreements valued at hundreds of millions of dollars have been signed between leading Israeli and Chinese universities. Recently together with Cornell University, the Technion won an international competition to establish a research institute in New York City. In May 2014, Tel Aviv University and the Tsinghua University in Beijing signed a milestone agreement to establish the XIN Centre committed to jointly investing $300 million in a joint nanotechnologies research project with medical optics water treatment and environmental applications. The Technion Guangdong Institute of Technology (TGIT) – sponsored by the Li Ka Shing Foundation with a $130 million grant – is an unprecedented cooperation between the Technion, Guangdong Province Government and Shantou Municipal Government and Shantou University to develop a leading technological school in China.
- 27.
Israel’s 1816 participants (out of 8602) rate above the EU average, receiving more than EUR 747 million of which almost two-thirds went to universities. In 2010, FP7 funding was almost on par with Israel Science Foundation funding.
- 28.
A six-year plan (I-CORE program) to revive higher education and university-based research launched in 2011. The plan calls for a 30 % increase in budgets, a doubling of funding for competitive grants, and a 9 % increase in the number of researchers. The plan provides for the creation of 20 new I-CORE research centres.
- 29.
A central example is Copaxone®, the innovative multiple sclerosis drug developed in Israel, patented by the Weizmann Institute TTC in 1971, licenced to Teva Pharmaceuticals in 2007, and generating significant royalties for the institute.
- 30.
Taught by experts from the IDF and academia and encompasses computer languages and algorithmic thought skills; computers and network architecture; and developing analytical ability and creative thought. In addition, the program includes visits to high-tech industries Intelligence Corps bases and a summer camp.
- 31.
Ben-Israel co-authored this SpringerBrief.
- 32.
- 33.
See Ch. 7–8.
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Tabansky, L., Ben Israel, I. (2015). The National Innovation Ecosystem of Israel. In: Cybersecurity in Israel. SpringerBriefs in Cybersecurity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18986-4_3
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