Israel Active

The Israeli entrepreneurs in this video are making everything from smart cars to apps that connect volunteers with their next project. See why Israel is called the Start-up Nation and Tel Aviv is the Start-up City.

The number of plastic bags being distributed at Israeli supermarkets has dropped by between 50% and 85% thanks to the new law requiring customers to pay for each one. Cynics thought the 10 agarot cost of each bag was too low but Israelis have already changed their shopping habits.

I reported previously about Mediterranean Umami – the vegan extract from Israel’s Salt of the Earth that reduces the sodium content of many food products. Its success has led the company to build new production lines to triple the output of this innovative ingredient.

Israel and China have signed a draft agreement that will bring 6,000 Chinese construction workers to Israel in 2017 to build homes and alleviate the housing shortage.

Ambassador Yoram Ettinger’s recent report highlights that the foreign capital flow into Israel shows a near tripling from 2005 when the so-called BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign started. 2016 was a record year and more is forecast by Israel’s Finance Minister.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017 ranks Israel as the second most innovative nation in the world after Switzerland. Israel rose 3 positions to 24th for competitiveness, thanks to Venture capital (2), Research institutes (3), R&D (3) and collaboration (3).  

Israeli supermarket chain Osher Ad has opened its first New York branch, named Bingo, in Brooklyn. If successful, more stores could be opened in cities with large Jewish communities.  Osher Ad is Israel's fourth-largest supermarket chain, numbering 15 stores.

Chinese auto manufacturer Qoros is opening a Research & Development center in Israel aimed at developing an electric smart car. The R&D center would develop networks for charging electric vehicles, vehicle sharing, etc.

Ambassador Ettinger summarizes Israel’s economic and technological growth over the last 20 years as “unprecedented”.  And the last 12 months wasn’t bad either.  The second video details many of the foreign investments in Israel – totaling $3.76 billion last year.

Israeli private high-tech companies, a main driver of the country's economy, raised an all-time high of $4.8 billion in 2016, up 11 percent from 2015.  The ability to raise funds has allowed Israeli startups to grow and cut down dramatically the number of early exits.