Social Entrepreneurship As a Potential Trailblazer for a Social and Humane Form of Society

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Social Entrepreneurship As a Potential Trailblazer for a Social and Humane Form of Society Social Entrepreneurship as a Potential Trailblazer for a Social and Humane Form of Society A Qualitative Study of the Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem of Israel - Master Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of M.Soc.Sc Organizational Innovation and Entrepreneurship Copenhagen Business School Student Names: Niklas Hencke, William Hovmand Johs, Niklas Yves Peter Student Numbers: 124251, 125021, 125386 Submission Date: 15.05.2020 Supervisor: Christiane Mossin Characters/Pages: 348.551 / 150 Table of Content Table of Content ii List of Figures iv List of Tables v List of Abbreviations vi Abstract vii 1.Introduction 1 2. Capitalism 5 2.1 Intro to Capitalism 5 2.1.1 Contemporary Capitalism: Development 5 2.1.2 Status Quo 6 2.2 Shortcomings of the hegemonial system 7 2.2.1 Inequality 7 2.2.2 Sustainability 9 2.3 Towards Altering the Status-Quo 11 2.3.1 Real Utopias 12 2.3.2 Overcoming Capitalism 16 2.3.3 Altering Capitalism 19 3. Social Entrepreneurship 24 3.1. Social Entrepreneurship as a Concept 24 3.1.1 Defining Social Entrepreneurship 24 3.1.2 Social versus Business Entrepreneurship - Differences and Similarities 28 3.1.3 The Hybrid Model - Opportunity or Neoliberal Takeover of SE 34 3.1.4 The SE Ecosystem - The Relation between SE and Institutions 37 3.2. Challenges of Implementing Social Entrepreneurship 40 3.2.1 Money is not Everything, but Everything Needs Money - The Challenge of Financing SE 40 3.2.2 The Challenge of Measuring Impact as Social Venture 42 4. Israel - A brief introduction 46 4.1 Creation of a Jewish Nation State 46 4.2 Major Conflicts 47 4.3 Israel - The Start-up Nation 49 5. Analytical Strategies and Methods 51 5.1 What, Why and How? 51 5.2 Quantitative versus Qualitative Research 54 5.3 Research Design 56 5.3.1 Sample & People 56 5.3.2 Questionnaire 57 5.3.3 Research Timeline 58 5.3.4 Hypotheses 60 ii 5.4 Operationalization of Analytical Framework 63 5.5 Biases & Limitations of our Research Methods 65 6. Analysis of Research Results 68 6.1 Subjects & Institutions 68 6.2 Israel Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem 82 6.3 Analysis of Hypotheses 99 7. Discussion 116 8. Limitations and Future Research 135 9. Conclusion 141 Acknowledgements 143 References 144 Appendix 154 A: Ann-Christina Petersen Lange 154 B: Varda Shoham 169 C: TheHive 177 D: Omri Boral 180 E: Oren Glanz 195 F: Jennifer Werthwein 197 G: Inbar Blum 209 H: Nir Gordon 212 I: Anonymous Military Source 221 J: Questionnaire Social Entrepreneurship Israel 226 K: Balance Sheet Vaude 2018 - Economy for Common Good 229 iii List of Figures Figure 1 Health and social problems are closely related to inequality within rich countries (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2011) .................................................................................................. 8 Figure 2 Growth curves for economic and ecological systems. Jackson (2009, p.8) ........... 10 Figure 3 Pathways to social empowerment. (Wright, 2010, p. 86) ........................................ 14 Figure 4 Overview of the most important types of property, their functions, limits and conditions (Felber et. Al., 2017, p.14) .................................................................................... 18 Figure 5 The Economy for Common Good Model. All key players with Society in the center (Felber et al., 2017) ................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 6 The entrepreneurship spectrum illustrating the boundaries of social entrepreneurship (Abu-Saifan, 2012, p. 26) .......................................................................... 26 Figure 7 The SE Ecosystem Map (derived from Bozhikin et al., 2019, p. 739) .................... 38 Figure 8 Research Timeline .................................................................................................. 59 Figure 9 Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map of Israel ................................................. 83 Figure 10 Median age at which students get their undergraduate degrees in OECD countries (Maltz, 2015)) ......................................................................................................................... 86 Figure 11 Traditional model (Isenberg, 2011, p. 4) ............................................................... 87 Figure 12 Gross Domestic Spending on R&D (OECD, 2020) ............................................... 89 Figure 13 Population by Religious Affiliation in 1949-2009 / Population by Ethnic Origin in 1948-2009 (Bystrov, 2012) .................................................................................................... 96 iv List of Tables Table 1 Definition and Characteristics of Entrepreneurship (Derived from Abu-Saifan, 2012, p. 23) ...................................................................................................................................... 30 Table 2 Definition and Characteristics of Social Entrepreneurship (Derived from Abu-Saifan, 2012, p. 24) ............................................................................................................................ 31 Table 3 Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods (Derived from Belk et al., 2012) .................................................................................................................... 55 Table 4 List of Interview Subjects with respective Roles and Interview Format .................... 60 v List of Abbreviations CGBS: Common Good Balance Sheet COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019 CSR Corporate Social Responsibility CVC: Corporate Venture Capital DBL: Double Bottom Line DIC: Danish Innovation Centre ECG: Economy for the Common Good FDI: Foreign Direct Investment FROI: Financial Return on Investment GDP: Gross Domestic Product GISEP: German Israeli Start-up Exchange Program IP: Intellectual Property IVN: Israel Venture Network KPI: Key Performance Indicator MNC: Multinational Corporation MVP: Minimum Viable Product NGO: Non-governmental Organization OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development PR: Public Relations R&D: Research and Development ROI: Return on Investment SDGs: Social Development Goals SE: Social Entrepreneurship SIM: Social Impact Measurement SME: Small and Mid-Sized Enterprises SROI: Social Return on Investment TBL: Triple Bottom Line TRPF: Tendency of the Rate of Profit to Fall UBI: Universal Basic Income VC: Venture Capital vi Abstract Contemporary global capitalism is undoubtedly creating tensions and inequalities in fields like social justice and sustainability. While there are a lot of existing proposals to overcome the hegemonial system or alter it towards a more social future, those rarely receive enough attention when structural changes are debated. Our research focuses on these approaches while introducing Social Entrepreneurship (SE) as a possible key pillar for a socially humane tomorrow in the form of a field study. The study was predominantly conducted in the form of qualitative research in Israel, the country with the highest ratio of innovation per capita. We analyse feedback from various stakeholders in order to create a comprehensive map of the SE ecosystem of Israel and identify both takeaways and challenges of SE in this context. Along with our research findings we identify major challenges of SE in general, being its definition, the financing of social ventures and the measurement of their created impact. Derived from this we argue for the creation of hybrid models, for-profit ventures with a primarily social mission. Since, in a complex configuration of stakeholders and influence relations, SE cannot be a standalone approach to achieve a more balanced and social world, we point out which other factors need to be in place and indicate how a transition process can be structured. Finally, we take a look at criticisms of SE and discuss how more capitalism included in a discipline like SE can actually help to reduce capitalist influence on a broader scale. This study lays a foundation for a process of social empowerment through SE. It is not providing a detailed universal blueprint for the implementation of SE as a pillar of a more humane future, but it paves the way to the implementation of use cases and long-term studies of the field in order to get a complete understanding of interplay of different institutions and stakeholders, with the end goal to define tailored transition approaches. vii 1. Introduction The introduction of capitalism in our society has led to an immense increase in output and efficiency, with the benchmark of success being measured by relative growth (Jackson, 2009). While capitalism has brought us the likes of the industrial revolution and immeasurably increased our quality of life, it has also created a society that is obsessed with growing, whereby politicians and economists seem to be more worried about their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than their people. Our world is suffering from extreme inequality, unsustainable practices and questionable law-making, meanwhile, it is the poorest parts of the population that suffer the consequences. If, according to an Oxfam report (2016), the sixty-two richest people in the world have as much as the poorest 3.6 billion people, then global capitalism is no longer the best of all possible worlds and is on a rapid downhill trajectory. Worst of all, without any self- correcting mechanisms or national government to stop it. An old society, created in the first industrial revolution - the liaison between liberal-capitalist
Recommended publications
  • Arab Citizens' Integration Into Israeli High-Tech
    Arab Citizens’ Integration into Israeli High-Tech: Achievements and Emerging Issues Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues August 2018 _____________________________________ Research: Alma Schneider Editor: Liron Shoham TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 II. CONTEXT: HIGH TECH SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH .................................................... 3 Economic Footprint ................................................................................................................. 3 Human Capital Shortage ......................................................................................................... 4 Focus on Arab Society ............................................................................................................. 5 III. THE CHALLENGE: BARRIERS TO INTEGRATION ................................................................. 6 IV. DOMINANT STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES ................................................................... 8 V. DETAILED STATUS: ACHIEVEMENTS AND EMERGING ISSUES ......................................... 10 Higher Education: Completion and Employability ................................................................ 12 Depth of Workforce Integration ............................................................................................ 13 Industry Expansion – Tech Hubs and Startups ...................................................................... 14 Arab
    [Show full text]
  • The Animation Industry: Technological Changes, Production Challenges, and Global Shifts
    THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES, PRODUCTION CHALLENGES, AND GLOBAL SHIFTS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Hyejin Yoon, M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2008 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Edward J. Malecki, Adviser Professor Nancy Ettlinger Adviser Graduate Program in Geography Professor Darla K. Munroe ABSTRACT Animated films have grown in popularity as expanding markets (such as TV and video) and new technologies (notably computer graphics imagery) have broadened both the production and consumption of cartoons. As a consequence, more animated films are produced and watched in more places, as new “worlds of production” have emerged. The animation production system, specialized and distinct from film production, relies on different technologies and labor skills. Therefore, its globalization has taken place differently from live-action film production, although both are structured to a large degree by the global production networks (GPNs) of the media conglomerates. This research examines the structure and evolution of the animation industry at the global scale. In order to investigate these, 4,242 animation studios from the Animation Industry Database are used. The spatial patterns of animation production can be summarized as, 1) dispersion of the animation industry, 2) concentration in world cities, such as Los Angeles and New York, 3) emergence of specialized animation cities, such as Annecy and Angoulême in France, and 4) significant concentrations of animation studios in some Asian countries, such as India, South Korea and the Philippines. In order to understand global production networks (GPNs), networks of studios in 20 cities are analyzed.
    [Show full text]
  • Bridging the Innovation Gap Homeland Security Cyber Security Medical Instrumentation Sustainment & Support
    Defense Commercial Aviation Bridging the Innovation Gap Homeland Security Cyber Security Medical Instrumentation Sustainment & Support October 20, 2015 1 Noah's Heritage.... 2 2 2 Elbit System’s Corporate Snapshot Our vision: World leading source of innovative, technology-based solutions for diverse defense and commercial applications • Founded in 1965 • Annual revenues: ~$3B Israel ~$1B in the US 32% 22% Europe USA • 12,000 employees (~1800 in the US) 16% 30% 5,000+ engineers and scientists worldwide • Ranking: 29th largest defense company in the world 9+% annual investment in IR&D Revenues by Key Geographies Elbit Systems of America Proprietary Information 3 Key Business Areas Defense & Commercial EW & Countermeasures CYBER Solutions Airborne Systems & Simulation Systems Combat Vehicles & C4I & DAP Homeland Security Artillery Systems Tactical Communication Solutions Naval Systems Unmanned Vehicle ISR & Electro-optic Systems Systems >> Services & Support << 4 4 Elbit inside… making U.S. Systems better 5 5 Technical Superiority The Innovation Challenge Today’s Environment “To meet future needs, the Department of Defense must increase access to commercial state-of-the-art technology.” Secretary of Defense William J. Perry (June 1994) “Defense innovation is moving too slowly—in cycles that can last up to 18 years, whereas commercial innovation can be measured in cycles of 18 months or less” Senate Armed Services Committee (May 2015) “Our technological superiority is slipping. We see it every day” Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work (April 2015) “Now much more technology is commercial, and the technology base is global.” Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter (April 2015) Achieving and maintaining technical superiority is critical to our national security 7 7 Technology used to migrate from defense to consumer Corning Glass Teflon GPS 8 8 Now migrating from consumer to defense Cellular Networking Cyber Security Video Compression The challenge is breaking down barriers… 9 9 Innovation in Israel The “Silicon Wadi” The birth of the “Start-Up” nation .
    [Show full text]
  • Israel: „Silicon Wadi“
    Innovation global srael: „Silicon Wadi“ – nein, es handelt sich bei dieser Wortzusam- mensetzung nicht um einen Schreibfehler, sondern um die hebräi- I sche Übersetzung für Silicon Valley. Silicon Wadi ist das israelische Gegenstück zum Innovationsstandort im US-amerikanischen Ka- lifornien und konzentriert sich räumlich in Tel Aviv und Umgebung. Der Großteil, über siebzig Prozent, aller israelischen Start-ups ist hier ansässig. In Israel, ähnlich wie im Ausland, wird das kleine Land, das in etwa die Fläche des Bundeslandes Hessen umfasst und knapp neun Millionen Einwohner zählt, mit seinen rund 6.000 Start-ups häufig als die „Start-up- Nation“ des Nahen Ostens gefeiert. Kennzahlen zufolge ist Israel neben China und den USA einer der beliebtesten Standorte für Investitionen in Start-ups weltweit. Eine Branche floriert besonders: die Cyberabwehr und -sicherheit, die 450 Unternehmen zu ihrem Geschäft gemacht haben. In diesem Start-up-Zweig hat Israel China 2018 überholt, nachdem größeres ausländisches Wagniskapital in das nahöstliche Land als in den fernöst lichen „Riesen“ gepumpt worden war. Nahezu zwanzig Prozent des globalen Wagniskapitals flossen im vergangenen Jahr nach Israel. Nur die USA ziehen bislang mehr Investoren in dieser Branche an. Wie hat ein flächenmäßig so kleines und bevölkerungsarmes Land wie Israel es geschafft, eine der innovativsten Nationen im Bereich der Cyberabwehr und Cybersicherheit zu werden? Eine Antwort auf diese Frage gibt ein Blick in die Geschichte des jungen Landes. Die Freude über die Staatsgründung 1948 hielt nicht lange an, nachdem das gerade aus der Taufe gehobene Land nach der Ausrufung der Unabhängigkeit von seinen arabischen Nachbarstaaten angegriffen worden war. Abgesehen von Waffenlieferungen aus der damaligen Tschechoslowakei und Frankreich erhielt Israel keine nennenswerte Militärhilfe von anderen Staaten.
    [Show full text]
  • The Helix Model of Innovation in Israel
    THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM Department of Sociology and Anthropology The Helix Model of Innovation in Israel: The Institutional and Relational Landscape of Israel’s Innovation Economy Prof. Gili S. Drori (editor) Ohad Barkai Amy Ben-Dor Navah Berger Alexandr Bucevschi Noga Caspi Avida Netivi With Prof. Henry Etzkowitz תשע"ג – 2013 Jerusalem, Israel E-2 | The Helix Model of Innovation in Israel Table of Content Preface E-7 1. Prof. Gili S. Drori Helix model of innovation in Israel: The global scheme and its local application E-9 2. Prof. Henry Etzkowitz Israel’s innovation system: A triple helix with four sub-helices E-39 3. Alexandr Bucevschi Industry Patent applications and the quadruple helix: Mapping connections in Israeli industry E-47 4. Navah Berger University Case study of the seven research universities’ technology transfer offices in Israel E-71 5. Amy Ben-Dor Government Feminist Discourse and Supporting Technology Innovation with Triple Helix Model Abstract E-101 6. Noga Caspi Civil Society Ashoka-Israel as an advocate of social entrepreneurship: A case of civil society impact on innovation and entrepreneurship in Israel Abstract E-103 | E- 3 7. Ohad Barkai Financial Sector The Israeli field of research funding: Implication for the helix model Abstract E-105 8. Avida Netivi Military “Talpiyot” project as a security triple helix Abstract E-107 E-4 | The Helix Model of Innovation in Israel | E- 5 Authors’ Biographies Ohad Barkai is a BA graduate of the Sociology and Anthropology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is currently employed as a QA engineer at FundTech Ltd.
    [Show full text]
  • The Origins of Silicon Valley: Why and How It Happened Here
    “The Origins of Silicon Valley” August 11, 2016 Talk at Flash Memory Summit The Origins of Silicon Valley: Why and How It Happened Here Paul Wesling , H-P (re tire d), IEEE Life Fe llow Past Communications Director, IEEE SF Bay Area Council Presented at the Flash Memory Summit August 11, 2016 or … You Are There! A step back through Santa Clara Valley and SF Bay Area history 1 “The Origins of Silicon Valley” August 11, 2016 Talk at Flash Memory Summit Classic Silicon Valley: 1976 1975, MP; Gordon French garage; O Homebrew Computer Club – Hobbyists meeting in Menlo Park and at SLAC – Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs – The Apple I (to sell to friends) Classic Silicon Valley: 1976 Wozniak-Jobs partnership – called it “Apple Computer Company” – Start ed i n a garage iiLn Los Altos – Now has largest stock market capitalization – Most valuable brand in the world How could this happen? Why in the SF Bay Area? 2 “The Origins of Silicon Valley” August 11, 2016 Talk at Flash Memory Summit Before 1900 … The Santa Clara Mission “Valley of the Heart’s Delight” Before 1900 This was more typical … 3 “The Origins of Silicon Valley” August 11, 2016 Talk at Flash Memory Summit Let’s Go Back … Federal Telegraph – Formed in 1909 in Palo Alto (by Cyril Elwell, a Stanf ord grad) – Lee de Forest invented the audion oscillator and amplifier in 1907 – Pioneered continuous- wave radio De Forest tube Federal Telegraph – Paulsen Arc Transmitter, 1909 . Demonstrated sending CW and voice – Raised funds from “angel investors”, including David Starr Jordan, Stanford’s president – Demonstrated communication from S.F.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study of Israel Public Disclosure Authorized
    102958 world development report Public Disclosure Authorized BACKGROUND PAPER Digital Dividends Public Disclosure Authorized Best Practices and Lessons Learned in ICT Sector Innovation: A Case Study of Israel Public Disclosure Authorized Authors Dr. Daphne Getz and Dr. Itzhak Goldberg Researchers Eliezer Shein, Bahina Eidelman, Ella Barzani Public Disclosure Authorized This background paper was prepared for the World Development Report 2016 Digital Dividends. It is made available here to communicate the results of the Bank’s work to the development community with the least possible delay. The manuscript of this paper therefore has not been prepared in accordance with the procedures appropriate to formally-edited texts. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary and Key Findings ......... 5 1 Background and Sources for the Development of the ICT Sector in Israel ....... 8 1.1 Historical Background of Israel's Science, Engineering, and Technology Innovation ...... 8 1.2 Government Policies and Initiatives for the ICT Sector in Israel ............................................ 11 1.3 Analysis of the ICT Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship in Israel ................................................. 12 1.4 Case Studies of Successful ICT Startups Companies .................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Economy of Israel's Homeland Security
    Working Paper III: The Political Economy of Israel’s Homeland Security/Surveillance Industry by Neve Gordon* April 28, 2009 * Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel, [email protected] 1 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION: EXPERIENCING HORROR .................................................................................................3 CHAPTER ONE: ISRAEL AS A HOMELAND SECURITY/SURVEILLANCE CAPITAL..............................5 1.1 THE SIZE OF ISRAEL’S HOMELAND SECURITY/SURVEILLANCE INDUSTRY.........................................................7 Figure 1: Israel Homeland Security............................................................................................................................11 1.2 THE INDUSTRY’S REVENUES.....................................................................................................................................11 1.3 THE INDUSTRY’S STRUCTURE...................................................................................................................................13 1.4 POST‐FORDIST MODE OF PRODUCTION .................................................................................................................16 CHAPTER TWO: THE EMERGENCE OF ISRAEL’S HOMELAND SECURITY INDUSTRY ................... 17 Figure 4: Historical Roots of the Homeland Security Industry.......................................................................17 2.1 THE MILITARY INDUSTRY .........................................................................................................................................17
    [Show full text]
  • Ict Startup Entrepreneurs As Subjects of International Development in Amman’S ‘Silicon Wadi.’
    DEVELOPING APPS, DEVELOPING JORDAN? ICT STARTUP ENTREPRENEURS AS SUBJECTS OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN AMMAN’S ‘SILICON WADI.’ A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Arab Studies By Alexandra Robehmed, B.Sc. Washington, DC August 31, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Alexandra Robehmed All Rights Reserved ii DEVELOPING APPS, DEVELOPING JORDAN? ICT STARTUP ENTREPRENEURS AS SUBJECTS OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN AMMAN’S ‘SILICON WADI.’ Alexandra Robehmed, B.Sc. Thesis Advisor: Fida J. Adely, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Entrepreneurship has become a buzzword in international development, but what does it mean to be a tech entrepreneur in a developing country? This thesis argues that entrepreneurs occupy complex positions, both criticizing and supporting development interventions, using Jordan’s information and communications technology (ICT) startup ecosystem as a case study. ICT startup entrepreneurs are central figures in development narratives in Jordan, embodying ideals of private sector growth, neoliberal individualism, and the knowledge society, in an economic context of high youth unemployment and a diminished public sector following structural adjustment policies. International development organizations support ICT startup entrepreneurs in Jordan through access to finance and educational initiatives. This thesis makes two key arguments: first, that ICT entrepreneurs criticize development interventions as changing funding and labor markets, distorting the free market that entrepreneurship is supposed to epitomize. Second, that entrepreneurs internalize the logics of development. As critics of development such as Arturo Escobar and James Ferguson note, it is through development that the subjects of development realize that they are underdeveloped.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Innovation Clusters
    Understanding Innovation Clusters An Exploratory Study of Israel and Southern Sweden May 2013 Author: Johannes Ivarsson Program: Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management Supervisor: Carl-Johan Asplund External Supervisor: Rikard Jacobsson, PwC II Acknowledgements This thesis was conducted at the Faculty of Engineering at Lund University as a part of my Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management. The idea of the study and its purpose was initiated and developed by me in collaboration with PwC and Rikard Jacobsson. I would like to send a special thank you to Carl-Johan Asplund, my supervisor at Lund University who has been constantly challenging and pushing my boundaries. My creativity and my abilities have been thoroughly tested and developed due to his inspiring supervising approach. I would also like to direct my gratitude to Rikard Jacobsson, my supervisor at PwC in Malmö. Without your sharp intellect and your ability to analytically understand and cut through complex problems, this thesis would certainly be a lot more “fuzzy”. Further on, big thank you for letting me incubate and develop ideas in your great office in Malmö. Malmö, May 20, 2013 Johannes Ivarsson III IV Abstract Title Understanding Innovation Clusters, An Exploratory Study of Israel and Southern Sweden Author Johannes Ivarsson Supervisor Carl-Johan Asplund Presentation date May 23 2013 Purpose The main purpose of this explorative master thesis is to describe, explain and understand the main success factors that lie behind the regional innovation system in Silicon Wadi in Israel. This is done in order to suggest some tentative ideas on how to further develop the emerging ICT cluster in Malmö/Lund.
    [Show full text]
  • High-Tech Connection: from Silicon Valley to Silicon Wadi on Occasion
    High-tech connection: From Silicon Valley to Silicon Wadi High-tech ties between Palo Alto and Israel are growing, with no end in sight http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=8894 by Arden Pennell Palo Alto Online Staff Wednesday, August 6, 2008 On occasion, businessman Eric Benhamou forgets where he is. Sitting under a row of clocks labeled "Palo Alto," "Paris" and "Tel Aviv" at his Cowper Street office, the long-time investor in Israeli businesses often conducts video conference calls. While speaking with executives abroad, Benhamou's sense of place wavers, he said. The conference rooms look the same, the entrepreneurs are equally passionate on either side of the ocean, and the time slips by. "Sometimes I forget which continent I am in because it really feels culturally very similar," he said. Never more so than right now, according to observers in Silicon Valley and Israel. As the Middle Eastern nation's high-tech economy grows -- developing a venture-capital engine resembling the United States' and a crop of business-minded young technologists - - the exchange between here and there is growing. At least 25 Israeli startups moved to the Bay Area from 2006 to late 2007, according to a count by the San Francisco Business Times. The Israeli consulate estimates about 40,000 natives are living on Valley soil. Israelis come to Silicon Valley seeking access to investors and America's mighty, 300- million-consumer marketplace. In return, they bring technical expertise often honed during military service and the "I can do it better" attitude many Israelis say is inherent to their culture.
    [Show full text]
  • 21 Places of the Future: Preface 21 Places of the Future
    Places of the Future Where is the future of work? Over the last few years, we’ve In this report, we outline where As the world looks to get beyond published a series of reports many of these new jobs will appear. the coronavirus pandemic, places describing what we think will be With the insight that jobs of the that are hotbeds of innovation the jobs of the future in this, the future often stem from unlikely and new ideas, and that are age of automation, algorithms places, we’ve identified 21 places affordable and enjoyable to work and artificial intelligence. around the world where the future and live in, will be places that people is being built right now. gravitate to. The cities and towns we profile Read on to find out where the future range from the large to the small, of your work lies. the old to the new, and the well- known to the hardly-ever-heard-of. The one thing they all have in common, though, is an appetite to create – or recreate – a future by offeringhumans the work of the future. 2 21 Places of the Future: Preface 21 Places of the Future OUTER SPACE VIRTUAL SPACE NOVA HANSEATICA REMOTOPIA DUNDEE TALLINN PORTLAND TORONTO LISBON HAIDIAN QU SONGDO SACRAMENTO SILICON WADI SHENZHEN ATLANTA LAGOS KOCHI NAIROBI DA NANG SÃO PAULO WELLINGTON 3 INTRODUCTION World-changing innovations – production lines, In our previous studies, we’ve imagined “what” the automobiles, nuclear power, semiconductors – future of work will look like, particularly the new often spring from the most unlikely of places.
    [Show full text]