Israel is renowned for pilgrimages but one of its better kept secrets is its booming high-tech industry. James Morris finds out more.
If you were asked to pick the world's leading
Israel is renowned for pilgrimages but one of its better kept secrets is its booming high-tech industry. James Morris finds out more.
If you were asked to pick the world's leading high-tech centres you'd probably choose Silicon Valley, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea and Malaysia for obvious reasons. However, you'd be missing a key player from the list, which is better known for its religious history and warm climate. That country is Israel, a booming high-tech economy, which benefits from a steady influx of well-educated people and is currently being nurtured by government and non-governmental organisations. The rise and future potential of Israel isn't going unnoticed. Wired magazine rated the region joint-second with Boston in its round up of 46 high-tech hot spots, beating Asian and European contenders. Silicon Valley was, of course, first.
The financial figures seem to bear this commendation out. Israel had a $US99 billion economy in 1999, making the GDP per capita a respectable $US16,170. This equals or exceeds many of the Asian economies, and eclipses its near-eastern neighbours. Investors seem to like Israel too - the country attracted $US1 billion in venture capital funding last year. The Israel Export Institute claims there are around 1,500-2,500 start-ups every year, second in number only to the US. So what's behind this high-tech boon? I was invited by the Israel Export Institute for a behind-the-scenes look at some of the country's key players.