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Fostering
the Growth of High Technology
An astonishing 70% of Israel's exports
are in the high-tech sector. Per capita, Israel has
more high-tech startups, scientists, engineers, civilian
research and development spending, venture capital
investments and patents registered in the United States
than any other country in the world.
Additionally, with one of the world's
best educated and most entrepreneurial workforces,
Israel is well placed to be a global technological
leader for decades to come.
There are a variety of foundations dedicated
to developing cooperation between Israel and the United
States. The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research
and Development Foundation (BIRD), the U.S.-Israel
Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund
(BARD) and the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation
(BSF) are three foundations that generate mutually
beneficial cooperation in industrial research and
development, technological innovation, agriculture
and scientific research.
BARD has funded over 870 research projects
in locations throughout most of the fifty states.
The estimated dollar benefits to the United States
of ten BARD projects will total $440 million through
the year 2010. BIRD supports approximately fifteen
projects annually in the field of R&D with a total
investment of around $11 million per year. BSF has
supported nearly 4000 cooperative research programs
and many BSF grantees have gone on to win prestigious
awards, including the Nobel Prize.
Above:
Technologies invented in Israel: Computer hardware,
SIM card, Microprocessor, Cellular phone, Netafim
drip irrigation lines a lettuce field.
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