H.E. Daniel Carmon, Ambassador of Israel to India, began the Keynote Session on “The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in Economic Development at One Globe Forum 2017, by remarking that technology informs our lives and our world, “[T]echnology today is everywhere. It is almost everything we do and everything we own. It’s in our well-being, in our health, in our food, in our social interactions, in our education, in our economy, in our individual, institutional, and national security, and in our fiscal transactions. It is the world we live in today.”

In the 21st century, technology has emerged as the defining factor and resource for shaping the state of the economy, thanks to accelerated development over the last two decades. Ambassador Carmon said, “We’re moving forward in leaps and bounds, past connectivity and into the internet of things.” This progress has led to the evolution of new markets, currencies, and norms. Today, technology is the backbone of international economic competitiveness.

He cited Israel as an example. Founded in 1948, Israel faced a plethora of challenges: building a nation-state in a small strip of land, enforcing national security, overcoming a lack of natural resources, and running a robust economy. Health, education, security, and agriculture were the key sectors for the country. For solutions, Israel turned to its scientific communities active in universities, and challenged them to transform the land into a sustainable home for the people.

In 1958, Israel underwent an agricultural revolution, which made sure that every drop of water counted. To realize the ambition of “More crop per drop” for a water-scarce nation with no regional trade partners was critical and game-changing. Quality research into desalination, and harnessing alternative sources of energy, ensured that the country became self-sufficient for food.

While Israel has long since overcome many of its initial challenges, there has been one constant: its reliance on technology. Ambassador Carmon said, “Today’s Israel invests heavily in applied sciences and technology on two fronts: educational and development.” The investments are targeted not just to research and development, but also towards application. That means research has a dual focus - education and industry.

There are R&D foundations in universities which help adapt discoveries to industry. In addition, there is a Chief Scientist in every relevant ministry to facilitate linkages between scientific research and decision-making. Schools in Israel have also expanded their curriculums to include Biotech, Robotics, IT, and Cyber Security. In 1992, Israel became one of the first countries to make computer access compulsory in schools.

In terms of industry, Ambassador Carmon said that Israel had “created an ecosystem in which new ideas are constantly sought after and given a safe environment to grow.” This ecosystem is not only theoretical but physical, taking the form of technology parks, which are a partnership between government, entrepreneurs, finance, researchers, and academia. These parks help create greater cooperation between academia and industry. As an example, the Ambassador talked about the Advanced Technological park in Beer Sheva, Israel.

The Ben Gurion University of Negev, the Israel Defence Forces Technological Campus, and 250 international technological centres, with brands like Dell, Paypal, Google, Intel are all within a few kilometers of the park’s radius. This creates a mutually enriching ecosystem.

Israel is a great example of how technology can transform a nation-state and its economy. But for this to happen, following the Israel model, a few practices are compulsory: ensuring technological literacy in schools and society; cross-fertilisation of research, industry and policy; and, nurturing an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, government, and scientists. As Ambassador Carmon put it, “Science and technology are the ingredients but the determining factor is the skill to use them.”