Israel's High-Tech Figures
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High-Tech Industries Israel’s High-Tech Figures Israel has become one of the world’s most highly regarded and 2001. He joined the company in 1994, and is serving as a director important high-tech centers and high-tech is the main growth in some of Elron's subsidiaries. engine of Israel’s economy. In 2004, Israeli high-tech sales exceeded $15 billion, including $12.9 billion in exports. In the Davidi Gilo – One of the most important inventors and peak year of 2000, no less than 3,000 high-tech start-ups were entrepreneurs of the Israeli high-tech industry. Gilo is also the active in Israel – one start-up per 2,000 residents. man responsible for one of biggest high-tech deals in Israeli history – the purchase of DSPC (DSP Communications), a This chapter presents the figures standing behind the impressive wireless communications chip designer, by Intel (1999), in a deal activities of Israel’s high-tech industries. Israel’s high-tech worth $1.6 billion. community is characterized by a high concentration of talent, Gilo established the DSPC Group in the United States, but its energy and innovation. We’ve chosen to focus on a number R&D centers were located in Israel. of issues important to Israeli high-tech, featuring some of the personalities. Benny Peled (deceased) – Major General (Res.) Benny Peled, former Commander of the Israeli Air Force (1973-1977), Founding Fathers served as president of Elbit and its subsidiary Elscint. Peled turned Elbit into one of the most important providers of defense Efi Arazi – The “wonder kid” of the Israeli economy, is best systems and equipment in Israel and abroad. Elbit’s sales revenue known as the founder (1967), President and CEO of Scitex, reached a record of $830 million in 2002. In 1999, Elbit completed which led the global digital printing field and reported hundreds a merger with El-Op, one of the most important electro-optical of millions of dollars in sales each year. In 1988, Arazi handed companies in the world. In 1982 Joseph Ackerman joined Elbit the company’s reins over to Arie Rosenfeld, and became Systems, where he now serves as President and CEO, bringing Chairman of the Board. the company to record achievements. In 1989, Arazi ceased his active involvement in Scitex, and established EFI (Electronics for Imaging), which developed a Dr. Felix Zandman – Founder, President, CEO, and driving chip that transforms standard digital color copiers into networked spirit behind Vishay Intertechnology, one of the world’s color printers. Arazi handed over the CEO position to Dan Avida largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive (1995), and became a “silent” chairman in EFI, which also posted components. Zandman founded Vishay in 1962, and turned it revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars a year. into a company that employs 25,000 workers worldwide. The company began its activities in Israel in the seventies, with the Uzia Galil – Founder establishment of four factories in Holon, Migdal Ha’emek, Be’er of Elron, served as its Sheva and Dimona. President & Chairman of the board until 1999. 1962, Leaders of International Corporations in the year in which Uzia Israel and Abroad Galil established Elron Uzia Galil Doron Birger Electronic Industries, can be Shai Agassi – Senior executive member of the Germany-based considered the birth year of software giant SAP, which purchased TopTier, the company the Israeli high-tech industry. For dozens of years, Galil served Agassi founded and managed, for $400 million (2001). Agassi as Chairman or board member in Elron’s subsidiaries, which also founded Quicksoft and Menahel. SAP operates an R&D include Elbit Systems; Elscint, a medical imaging company center in Israel. (which he founded together with Dr. Avraham Suhami); and EMI. Galil also served as Chairman of Zoran (which was founded Ra’anan Biber – General Manager of Dell by Dr. Levy Gerzberg). In the course of his brilliant career, Galil Israel. In 1999 computer giant Dell Inc. won numerous awards and titles. The group develops defense established a branch in Israel. Biber previously electronics products, navigation systems, scanners, and a wide worked for Motorola Israel, serving as general variety of ultrasound, digital and video chips. manager at Emet Michshuv. Biber has boosted Doron Birger has been serving as Elron's President & CEO since Ra’anan Biber sales in Israel by thousands of percents. 42 High-Tech Industries since 2001. Novell is the world’s leading developer of secureשם Shlomo Catran – In 2001 he was appointed General Manager of Philips Medical Systems Israel, a developer of medical identity management information solutions and multi-platform imaging technology and manufacturer of CT scanners. Catran service applications. also serves as Chairman of the Medical Equipment Forum of the Israel Association of Electronics Industries. Dr. Dan Maydan – A senior executive at the international giant Applied Materials, a leading supplier of semiconductor Ayal Bar David – Qualcomm’s Vice-President of engineering. equipment. Together with Israeli scientist Dr. Sasson Somekh, Qualcomm is one of the most important digital wireless and Dr. David Wang, Maydan invented a revolutionary device communications companies in the world. for producing silicon chips. The invention of the Precision 5000 device by Maydan and his colleagues increased the company’s Prof. Dov Frohman – He initiated the Israeli activities of sales from $200 million in 1987 to a billion dollars within Intel, the leading company in the 6 years. Maydan became a President semiconductor industry, and turned Intel Emeritus of Applied Materials (2003) Israel into the largest Israeli exporter. In together with Dr. Sasson Somekh, and the early seventies, Frohman invented has won a number of important global the revolutionary EPROM chip, the awards. Applied Materials entered the basic component of flash memory Israeli market after it acquired Opel technology. Ofer Moshe Horev Vered Liberman and Orbot (1997) for $286 million, and Frohman established Intel’s R&D Greenberger established a factory in Rehovot two center in Haifa, and has been the years later. driving force behind Intel Israel for 20 years. In 1981, he established Intel’s Amos Michalson – CEO (since chip-making factory in Jerusalem. In 1995) of Creo, which was established 2000, he relinquished the CEO position by Dan Gelbart (1983). Creo, the to Alex Kornhauser, manager of Intel’s world's largest supplier of prepress chip-making factory in Kiryat Gat, Dr. Dan Maydan Meir Nissensohn Arie Offner equipment, develops solutions for the David (Dadi) Perlmutter, manager of graphic arts industry. The company Intel’s R&D center in Haifa, and Amir Elstein, manager offers over 3,000 products, and employs over 4,000 of Intel Electronics in Jerusalem. In 2004, Intel exported workers around the world. $1.17 billion and employed 5,800 workers in Israel. Amos Michalson was the CEO of Creo Products until its sale to Eastman Kodak Inc. in 2005. Ofer Greenberger – KLA Tencor Israel’s CEO. In the United States, Mr. Greenberger managed SemiTech, Kobi Paz Meir Nissensohn – CEO (since 1996) of IBM Israel, a subsidiary of Kulick and Soffa. From 1998-2001, Mr. one of the country’s most important computer companies Greenberger managed Microswiss in Israel. In 2003, with Avi (since 1949). IBM Israel employs 2000 workers who specialize Cohen’s appointment as KLA President in the United States, in software, hardware, investment and research. Its Israeli R&D Ofer Greenberger joined KLA-Tencor. centers are the most important of their kind in the world, and are responsible for major technological breakthroughs. Dr. Eli Harari – Founder, President and CEO of SanDisk, a world pioneer in the field of non-volatile memory and Arie Offner – CEO of CA Israel, a subsidiary of the software semiconductor systems design. SanDisk operates an R&D center giant CA. CA Israel operates the company’s largest development in Israel. center outside the United States, and one of the most innovative centers in the world. CA Israel has 300 employees, including Moshe Horev – The Israeli managing director of Oracle, the 200 engineers developing information security and storage world’s largest supplier of information management software. solutions. CA Israel’s customers include 90% of Israel’s 100 Oracle Israel was established in 1996, and serves over 2,000 largest companies. customers locally. Kobi Paz – Served as Chairman and CEO of Alcatel Telecom Vered Liberman – Serves as General Manager of Novell Israel Israel since 2002. Alcatel is a leading international manufacturer of innovative telecommunications equipment. 43 High-Tech Industries Yair Pecht – General Manager of EDS Israel, the local branch Digital Israel, a fully owned subsidiary of the Digital Equipment of Electronic Data Corporation, one of the world’s leading Corporation (DEC), which was acquired by Compaq Computer information technology (IT) services companies, which operates Ltd. Weiser established and headed many high-tech companies, in 60 countries. Pecht began working for EDS Israel when it was including Negev Software Industries, Digital Semiconductors founded in 1995, becoming general manager in 2000. Center (VLSI), Wiztec, SIT CMS, Orlink and Fibronics. He also served as the general manager of HP Israel (1995-2000), one of Dr. Abe Peled – President and CEO (since 1995) of NDS, the largest computer companies in Israel. In 2002, Compaq Israel a leading supplier of digital pay-TV solutions for the secure was merged into HP Israel, following the acquisition of Compaq delivery of entertainment and information to televisions and by the HP Corporation. IP devices. The company’s R&D center in Israel employs 600 specialists, which account for one third Elisha Yanai – Chairman and CEO of the company’s personnel. IBM’s of Motorola Israel (since 2002) and a first DSP chip was designed according corporate vice president of Motorola to Abe Peled’s architecture, while he Inc., the world’s leading provider was serving as IBM Vice President for of integrated communications Systems and Software in the eighties.