bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Chua Kong Ho

Israel has almost the same number of artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups as China, but with a population that is 159 times smaller. It is a global leader in cybersecurity, developed drip irrigation, the USB flash drive, long-shelf tomatoes and the pill cam.
In short, Israel punches way above its weight class on the global stage in technology and innovation. Last week, I went on a trip organised by the Israeli foreign ministry and visited the country’s top university, promising start-ups and the biggest tertiary hospital in the Tel Aviv area to learn about its use of AI, as well as attended the OurCrowd summit in Jerusalem. I hoped to see if there was a secret formula to the nation’s success, and by extension, whether the formula could be replicated in other countries.
The answer to that is important as countries worldwide grapple with the question of how to seize the opportunities thrown up by new technologies from genomics to AI, and minimise the disruptions that these innovations invariably bring to societies and economies.
SpaceX launch: Israel in historic bid to become fourth nation to land on moon with world’s first privately-funded lunar mission
My conclusion from the week: there are aspects to the Israeli story of disruptive innovation that are unique to the country, but there are also many lessons that other nations can learn from.
In talking about Israel’s tech ecosystem, the role of the military looms large. Whether it is the compulsory national service that trains its young men and women to work in teams and be mission-oriented, or giving those serving in specialised units like signals intelligence a grounding in skills that are applicable to private industry like cybersecurity, the military almost always comes up in conversations about the secret of Israel’s tech success.
One example, and there are many, is the pill-sized capsule camera, invented by Gavriel Iddan, an engineer at an Israeli defence company, who took inspiration from his work on guided missile technology.

  Risk-taking is an essential part of start-up culture and Israel has this in abundance. The country had the most positive attitude toward entrepreneurial risk, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Competitiveness Report. It also spends the most of any nation on research and development (4.3) as a percentage of GDP.
“When you have death wished upon you, the risk of failing at a start-up, so what?” said Jonathan Medved, founder and chief executive of equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd, one of the country’s most active venture capital investors. “There is a long tradition of turning curses into blessings.”
The scarcity of water, for example, pushed Israel to become a pioneer in reverse osmosis and desalination. The lack of a big domestic or even regional market for its products and services spurred companies to think global from the start.

In the matter of talent, while Israel is a small country in terms of population, it can and has tapped on the wider Jewish diaspora. Still, much more can be done to involve segments of the population, such as Israeli Arabs, ultra-orthodox Jews and women, according to Medved.
“We have to invite people of all kinds, which is what made Silicon Valley great. There’s no reason why different nationalities thinking of a career in hi-tech should not think about working in Israel,” he said.
To be sure, one of the main criticisms against Israel’s tech ecosystem is the “culture of exits”, or the tendency for start-up founders to sell their businesses to bigger multinationals, instead of taking it all that way to become global champions. The most celebrated case in Israeli tech is Mobileye, the autonomous driving system start-up co-founded by Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor Amnon Shashua, that was sold to US semiconductor giant Intel for US$15.3 billion in 2017.

The capital markets in Israel are also too shallow to be able to accommodate huge initial public offerings, meaning any promising domestic start-up contemplating a public listing would have to go overseas.
Still, given the global nature of technology, it is not a net loss as most of the multinational companies that acquired Israeli start-ups end up building research and development labs in the country, contributing to foreign direct investment and employment.
To help the tech ecosystem, the state has a dedicated Israel Innovation Authority to champion research and development in the country. The foreign ministry also includes technology as part of its public diplomacy efforts.

Academia is the last piece of the tech ecosystem. Having top-notch universities is crucial in both supplying the raw talent for the industry, as well as to undertake research that can be commercialised.
We visited the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s tech transfer organisation, called Yissum, which is set up as a for-profit company wholly owned by the institution to inject more nimbleness and incentivise results.
Some of the prominent companies to have come out of the university include Mobileye. Other innovators include Marta Weinstock-Rosin, best known for developing Exelon, the blockbuster drug that slows dementia caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Asian cities are competing to woo tech start-ups with incentives
To ensure that research is attuned to solving real-world problems, Yissum invites companies to invest their time to craft requests for proposals that are then open to the university’s professors and researchers.
In a nutshell, the risk-taking culture (from being in a tough neighbourhood) that underpins Israel’s start-up scene is hard to replicate. But the right government support, encouraging global talent, having strong universities that work closely with industry and government to advance research and development goals – that is doable in many countries.


Start-up nation: Are there lessons to be learned from Israel’s tech success?

The skyline of Tel Aviv, the financial centre of Israel and its second most populous city after Jerusalem. Photo: Shutterstock

(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 13, 2016 an Israeli female soldier from the mixed-gender Bardalas battalion takes part in a training at a military camp near the northern Israeli city of Yoqne'am Illit. - As part of the International Women's Day on March 8, 2019, AFP presents a selection of files photos showing women soldiers around the world. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Royalty-free stock photo ID: 338548526
JURUSALEM, ISRAEL, NOV 5: The main building in Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University on a foggy day in Jerusalem, Nov 5, 2015 - Image

Jonathan Medved, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at OurCrowd Ltd, attends the 12th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) 2019 in Hong Kong, China, 14 January 2019.

The Asian Financial Forum (AFF) brings together some of the most influential members of the global financial and business community to discuss developments and trends in the dynamic markets of Asia. In 2018, over 100 internationally respected leaders in government, financial and business sectors gathered for groundbreaking discussions about opportunities and challenges facing Asia.

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: Intel Corp. Senior Vice President and CEO and Chief Technology Officer of Mobileye Amnon Shashua speaks in front of a Ford Fusion with Mobileye autonomous driving technology during a keynote address by Intel Corp. CEO Brian Krzanich (not pictured) at CES 2018 at Park Theater at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on January 8, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs from January 9-12 and features about 3,900 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 170,000 attendees.   Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

Tech

Innovation

Policy

Enterprises

Business

A risk-taking culture, growing talent pool, state support and military training have shaped Israel’s hi-tech industry


A strong risk-taking culture, growing pool of talent, state support, and military training and applications have helped shape Israel’s hi-tech industry.


Technology

Israel

Start-ups

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Opinion

Opinion | Start-up nation: Are there lessons to be learned from Israel’s tech success?

A risk-taking culture, growing talent pool, state support and military training have shaped Israel’s hi-tech industry