חדשנות ויזמות ישראלית לעולם המתפתח – התעוררות והזדמנויות חדשות - דניאל בן יהודה

למעלה מ-3 שנים עברו מאז שהתחלתי לעבוד בתוכנית לחדשנות ופיתוח בינלאומי באוניברסיטת תל אביב ו-7 שנים מהיום בו הבנתי שפיתוח בינלאומי וחדשנות לעולם המתפתח אינם רק תחום עניין אישי, אלא מסלול מקצועי בו עלי להתמקד. אין ספק שתקופה זו הייתה לתקופה מכוננת בתחום בכלל, ובישראל בפרט; תקופה של מעבר מפיתוח שהתבסס על מענקים, תרומות ופעילות של עמותות וארגוני סיוע בינלאומיים לכזה המתבסס באופן גובר על חדשנות, יזמות, פעילות עסקית והשקעות. תקופה בה מעורבות של הסקטור הפרטי הפסיקה להיתפס כבעייתית והחלה להתקבל כהזדמנות למינוף פעילות הפיתוח ואף כאמצעי מרכזי למיקסום ההשפעה בעולם המתפתח. תקופה בה התבססו גישות מונחות חדשות דוגמת Impact investing, Social entrepreneurship, Crowd funding , Shared value, Sustainability וכו' שנולדו מתוך שינויי תפיסה בעולם העסקי ובעולם הפיתוח הבינלאומי. כל זאת לצד מהפך ביחס ל"מקבלי הסיוע", שכבר אינם נתפסים כקבוצות נזקקות פסיביות וחסרות השפעה אמיתית על תהליך פיתוחם לשותפים מלאים לדרך בעלי בעלות מלאה וזכות בחירה לכל אורך התהליך. תקופה ב-Base of the pyramid , 4 מליארד עניי העולם שמרוויחים מתחת ל-2.5$ ליום, כבר אינם נחשבים למסכנים חסרי כל שזקוקים לתרומה וסיוע אלא כשוק בעל צרכים ורצונות שמגלם כח קניה של 5 טרליון דולר לשנה.

במקביל לשינויים גלובאלים אלו בתפיסת תחום הפיתוח הבינלאומי ובעולם העסקי, החלה להרקם התעוררות/תנועה מחודשת של אלו המאמינים שפיתוח בינלאומי ותיקון עולם אינם שייכים לעברה הנשגב של ישראל, אלא צריכים להוות נרטיב מחודש למדינה ולעם היהודי. חברות, אנשי עסקים, יזמים ומשקיעים החלו אט אט להפנות את תשומת ליבם לעבר שווקי הדרום והמזרח בתקווה לאספקת מענה לאתגרים הגלובאלים הבוערים שמחתי לגלות זרם הולך וגובר של אנשים הפועלים מתחושת שליחות אמיתית, בעודם מפנים גב ל"כסף המהיר" של "עולם ההייטק"  ונוהרים בקצב גובר אל עבר עולמות חדשים של יזמות והשקעות חברתיות. לעיתים מדובר ביזמים סדרתיים שכבר נהנו מאקזיט אחד או שניים ולעיתים ביזמים מבריקים, צעירים ומבוגרים, שהחליטו להקדיש את חייהם וזמנם להשארת חותם על העולם ותירגום יכולותיהם העסקיות/טכנולוגיות ליצירת השפעה בת קיימא על העולם.

ולא די בכך, ככל שעברו השנים שמחתי ללמוד כי, בזכות אותה "התעוררות רוחנית", ובעזרת דחיפה קלה של מאזניי הכלכלה העולמית המשתנה, אפריקה, אסיה ואמריקה הלטינית כבר אינן יעדי סחר/סיוע רחוקים הנשלטים ביידי קומץ מאכרים אפרוריים אלא יעד ליגיטימי, ואף מועדף לעיתים, לחדשנות וטכנולוגיות ישראליות בתחומים של מים, חקלאות, בריאות, חינוך ואנרגיה מתחדשת.

ברגע אחד התעוררו אזרחי מדינת ישראל והבינו לפתע את הפוטנציאל העצום שגלום באומת הסטארטאפ, ובמפגשה עם אתגרי העולם המתפתח ועם עברה המפואר בעולם הפיתוח הבינלאומי ויכולותיה הנשכחות בתחומי החקלאות, המים, הבריאות וכו'. על טפטפות, רפתות ולולים כבר שמעתם, אולם הסיפורים היותר מעניינים לטעמי טמונים במיזמים הקטנים והחדשניים שצצו בעשור האחרון, ומהווים דוגמת מופת לעתידה של התעשייה הישראלית ולמה שאנחנו באמת יכולים להציע לעולם – חדשנות טכנלוגית, חשיבה יצירתית, פתיחות מחשבתית ויזמות יוצאי דופן בעלי פוטנציאל אדיר לפיתוח מוצרים, שירותים וטכנולוגיות נדרשות והבאת לשווקים נשכחים. הלא כאן טמון סיפור ההצלחה הישראלי האמיתי. אל לנו להסתפק בפרסומות ביוטיוב ובאפליקציות לנערים מפונקים במערב. עלינו לנצל את היכולות והכלים העומדים לראשותנו ואת עמדתנו הייחודית מבינה גיאוגראפית, אקלימית והיסטורית ולשאוף להפוך למוקד חדשנות לעולם המתפתח. כמו שסול סינגר, מחבר Startup Nation נוהג לומר – Silicon Valley will always be the innovation Hub for the west but we should become the leading hub for the rest או במילים אחרות Become a silicon wadi- מוקד למתן מענה לצרכי העולם המתפתח ולפיתוח פתרונות טכנולוגיים, מוצרים, מערכות ושיטות להתמודדות עם צרכיהם הרבים.

הדוגמאות רבות מספור, כך שאזכיר רק את אלו שאינן זוכות לרוב לבמה תקשורתית בישראל ושאותן הייתה לי הזכות ללוות בתהליך היוולדן. ממיזמי מים באזורים נדחים בהובלת waterways, מערכות התפלה וטיהור מים SunDwater, דרך טיפול בשפכים Ayala water and Ecology ועד פרוייקטי חקלאות חדשניים דוגמת LivingGreen, Tal Ya, ו-FairPlanetSeeds. מפיתוח מערכות סולאריות מתקדמות Nova-Lumos, מערכות תאורה  Globe Light & Water System ופרוייקטי אנרגיה מתחדשת Arava Power ועד סלילת דרכים וכבישים בצורה ידידותית לסביבה ולחברה - AnyWays Solutions. מאמצעים למניעת הדבקות באיידס PrePex , רפואה מרחוק ewavemd דרך טכנולוגיות חינוך University of the people, globisens, Appleseeds   ועד למומחיות בpost harvesting  FTIChttp://www.ftic.co.il/, איתור מוקשים GEOMINE ורבים נוספים שעמלים על מנת לספק מענה בר קיימא לאתגרי העולם המתפתח. יש לציין כי אין מדובר בחברות המספקות פתרונות טכנולוגיים בלבד אלא לעיתים בעמותות ובחברות שמציעות פתרונות קיימים בדרך חדשנית ובמבנה ייחודי שמהווה את הבסיס להצעת הערך שלהן למול שווקים, כל זאת לצד מאות מומחים ישראלים המספקים שירותי ייעוץ לממשלות, ארגונים וחברות ברחבי העולם המתפתח ובשלל תחומים.

בראיה לעתיד אני מצפה בכליון לשמוע סיפורי הצלחה ישראלים עם השפעה מרחיקת לכת על העולם ושיובילו לצמיחה מחודשת תחום הפיתוח הבינלאומ בישראלי ולצמיכה של סקטור עסקי חדש בתחום המונע לא רק ממנעים עסקיים אלא גם ממניעים ערכיים ואתיים עמוקים.

אני מזמין אותכם לקרוא, לשתף ולתרום לבלוג זה ומעל הכל לקחת חלק פעיל בעיצוב עתיד ישראל בתחום.

הכותב, דניאל בן יהודה, עובד כמנהל פיתוח קהילה בתכנית לחדשנות ופיתוח בינלאומי באוניברסיטת תל אביב, ממקימי חברת DevTechHub ומיוזמי קהילת IsraelDev. 

Israel and the Developing World: From Herzl to Hi-Tech - Caylee Talpert

The idea that Israel has an important role to play in the developing world, is by no means a new idea, in fact it can be traced as far back as 1902, long before the establishment of the state when Theodor Herzl, in his book Alteneuland, envisioned that the struggle for “the redemption of the Africans” would eventually become the continuation of the struggle for the “redemption of the Jews.”

The idea of the Jewish State playing an important role in the developing world found expression among Israel’s founders where already David Ben Gurion spoke about Israel’s ‘moral duty’ to the rest of the world and, in the 1950s, Golda Meir began establishing close relationships with many developing countries. MASHAV, the Centre for International Cooperation, a department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was founded in 1958 and in the early years of Statehood Israel had more embassies in Africa than all countries other than France. 

Initially there was both strong ideological and political rationale for this cooperation, which was seen as a vehicle for Israeli “soft power” and gaining support for the fledgling Jewish state from many of the new voting members of the United Nations. Furthermore, economically, the developing world was seen to offer important markets for Israeli goods and African leaders looked to Israel as a supporter of decolonization and an important source of technical support. 

Initially these efforts paid off, Israel enjoyed a period of close diplomatic ties with Africa and during the late 1950’s and 60’s Israel enjoyed relative support at the UN and other international forum. However, the situation changed drastically in the 70’s when 27 of the then 33 African states severed relations with Israel following the Yom Kippur War. This had severe implications for Israel’s official development assistance which has never quite recovered. Over the years MASHAV’s operations have been considerably downscaled. Between 1959-60 the MASHAV budget comprised of approximately 34% of the total MFA budget, today it stands at only 3%.

Given this political context Israel’s engagement with the developing world has in the past been somewhat tenuous. While Israel has made some important contributions, for example in fields such as agriculture where for years Israeli invented drip irrigation has been increasing crop yields or by sending water, infrastructure and medical experts to developing countries, these contributions have often been in spite of significant political obstacles. However, a shift is underway in international development discourse which suggests that Israel’s greatest contributions are yet to be seen. 

On an ideological and political level we have seen the notion of Tikkun Olam or “repairing the world”, which has become an important mantra for encouraging Israeli assistance to the developing world. This concept, which became popular in liberal Jewish communities during the past decade, has in recent years found its way into the speeches of world leaders from Barack Obama on his recent visit to Israel in March to Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and even President Peres himself at the recent Facing Tomorrow Presidents Conference in Jerusalem. However it’s not only rhetoric, (although there is plenty of that) driven by the notion of Tikkun Olam, a multiplicity of Israeli and Jewish organisations have emerged, from Brit Olam and Tevel B’Tzedek who have been sending volunteers to the developing world for years to NGOs that are working to connect Israeli social and technological innovation with solving the challenges of the developing world such as Innovation Africa or the Israeli Social Model.

However, perhaps the greatest opportunities for Israel’s potential involvement in international development comes with the recent shift in the international development community globally to seeking more sustainable methods for assisting the world’s poorest countries. Increasingly the aid industry is turning to market-based solutions and private sector-driven development to galvanise entrepreneurship and reach scale in these countries. Technology and innovation are seen to play an important role in this new discourse. This is an area where the entrepreneurial spirit of Israel, the Start Up Nation has a potentially important role to play.

Israel is already a world leader in some of the areas where the developing world has the most pressing needs such as agriculture, water, renewable energy, medical and education technologies. Furthermore the developing world represents immense markets for innovative Israeli technologies as these countries offer the potential for “leap frogging” into adapting modern technology from the start without having to undergo the often difficult shift away from existing technologies to better solutions. In a city or village where there is no electricity, renewable energy offers an important solution and can be built into new projects from the start. Similarly in these countries entrepreneurs face little competition. Take Mpesa in Kenya for instance: unlike the West where entrenched interests of credit card companies and regulations are an important impediment to adoption of mobile banking, in Kenya 70% of the population uses mobile money, and other countries in the region are quickly following suit.

Israelis understand innovation that comes out of necessity, we have experienced it in our own development, frugal innovation and out-of-the-box thinking that is so relevant for the developing world offers the innovative Israeli spirit an opportunity to thrive. Given both current and future economic growth rates and demographic shifts, the developing world is the future, and Israel well positioned between Africa, Asia and Europe intersects these worlds and has an important role to play in this demographic and economic transition.

If Israel, with its recognised expertise in innovation and technology, was to focus its entrepreneurial energy on addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems, then both the nations of the developing world and Israel itself could have much to gain. The IsraelDev Network comprises of individuals and organisations that recognise this potential and hope to raise awareness to help nudge our civil society leaders, politicians and entrepreneurs in that direction. We hope you will join us in this endeavour!

Caylee Talpert is the Director of Special Projects at Tel Aviv University’s Innovation and International Development Program at the Hartog School of Government and Policy where she manages the IsraelDev Network. Caylee holds an Msc in International Development from the London School of Economics.

From Poverty to Prosperity - By Danielle Abraham

An Israeli initiated UN resolution on "Entrepreneurship for Development"

Israel, now famously known as the Start-Up Nation, is renowned for its remarkable spirit of entrepreneurship.

Much space has been dedicated to detailing how Israel produces more start-ups per capita than any nation on the planet, how Israel has the third highest number of companies on the NASDAQ, surpassed only by America and China and how Tel Aviv was named the second most entrepreneurship-friendly city in the world.

But that is only half the story...

Israel is not only reaping the benefits of a strong and growing entrepreneurial spirit at home, but is striving to share this spirit with the world.  Israel is encouraging other nations to support entrepreneurship for economic growth and is highlighting its crucial role for achieving sustainable development.

As Ron Prosor, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations stated three weeks ago, "Entrepreneurship is the key to unlocking the challenges of the 21st century.  It should be a central focus of the United Nations’ post-2015 development agenda."

Consequently, Israel is looking to harness its entrepreneurial spirit for international development and demonstrate how entrepreneurship can be used to tackle the world's most pressing development challenges; making the transition from the Start-up Nation to the Development Start-Up Nation. To such ends, in December 2012, the United Nations approved an Israeli initiated resolution on "Entrepreneurship for Development". The resolution was designed to encourage countries to support entrepreneurs as a means of advancing growth and prosperity in the developing world.

The resolution, initiated, authored and submitted by Israel to the UN General Assembly marked a significant turning point and itself constituted a historic landmark for the UN body. Firstly, the resolution was innovative in and of itself. General Assembly resolutions usually clarify policies which countries are then to adopt and implement. In this case, however, the resolution reflected a bottom up process. The resolution was based upon existing activities undertaken by Israel, through MASHAV - Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, in using entrepreneurship for development and then shared with the world.

Secondly, the resolution marked the first time in the UN's history, that the General Assembly recognised the need to promote a culture of entrepreneurship in the developing world as a means of advancing economic growth, eradicating poverty and encouraging human development. The resolution called on developing nations to support entrepreneurship through numerous measures. For example, through improved regulatory environments, the strengthening of domestic financial institutions and policy initiatives that promote entrepreneurship and encourage talented people, including women and youth, to put their ideas into action.

Finally, the resolution also marked a further shift in the UN's development approach, away from the provision of aid and towards empowerment, towards a greater investment in human capital.

As a follow up to the resolution, an event on "Entrepreneurship for Development" was held at the UN on 26^th June 2013.  The conference was co-hosted by the Israeli Mission to the UN and the President of the General Assembly and addressed how entrepreneurship can help move developing countries from poverty to prosperity, using Israel's remarkable success as a model.

The conference featured entrepreneurs from around the world and representatives from an incredible range of countries. It also shone a spotlight on Israeli innovation and ingenuity as a model for poverty eradication and financial growth. The event was divided into an opening segment and then three panels: one on entrepreneurship for development; the second on entrepreneurship education and the third on entrepreneurship as a tool for empowerment.

Entrepreneurship has vast potential to contribute to the attainment of sustainable development and to change the world. The realisation of such potential, however, is heavily dependent upon commitment from governments and effective investment in human capital.

As we look to the future, MASHAV is committed to continuing its investment in human capital and to sharing Israel's expertise and great spirit of entrepreneurship with the world. To date, in cooperation with the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) of the Organisation of American States, MASHAV has reached over 22,500 beneficiaries in Latin America and the Caribbean Islands, training them in entrepreneurship.

The State of Israel, through MASHAV, is striving to encourage and empower a new generation across the devleoping world to push the boundaries, to see new possibilities, and to find solutions to this century's most pressing challenges, to move the developing world from poverty to prosperity.

See the UN webcasts of the event below:

Opening Thematic Debate on Entrepreneurship For Development 

Panel 1: Entrepreneurship for Development

Panel 2: Entrepreneurship Education

Panel 3: Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Empowerment

Danielle Abraham is currently a Policy Advisor to the Director of Policy Planning and External Relations of MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The World Water Crisis and How Israel Can Be of Service - Ornit Avidar

"Been there done that" – is probably the best way to explain Israel's advantage and ability to contribute to the water challenges of developing countries. Our own experience of dealing with draught and lack of water sources for over 60 years and our success in flourishing the desert and having a state of the art water supply system has made the Israeli water industry an expert and stockpile of knowledge and know-how for these critical issues.

Whenever I meet ministers, project managers and other interested entities in Africa, immediately a trust factor forms, because I am perceived as someone who represents a nation that has passed and been in the same situation. Out of necessity, innovation transpires and this is also where the hope factor comes in, if we the Israelis were able to find solutions so will they.

So what are the factors of Israel's success?

What did Israel do to achieve the fantastic fact that "today with 8 million people Israel uses the same amount of natural water as we did in the 1960's with 4 million people".

1. Well personally I have to say that the first is our awareness of the water shortage, which turned Israel into a water saving society – that might seem strange to many, but this awareness is inbreed into children from the age of two, in the kindergartens and throughout the whole education system up to pamphlets and commercials on national TV for adults. Not to mention regulatory issues mandated on industry, progressive water tariffs and more.

2. This awareness has brought on the development and use of different conservation techniques. The famous of them all is drip irrigation, which was invented and already used in Israel in the 1960's. Since agriculture is the highest user of water in most countries, the potential of drip irrigation in water conservation is enormous; Drip irrigation saves up to 50% compared with sprinklers and much more if you compare it to traditional flooding irrigation. Conservation can also be done in the home, by literally using less water and closing the tap frequently, but technology also stepped in here and today we have regulating flow devices ("hashamim" in Hebrew), 2 flush system toilets, low flush and many more. The Industry has its own innovations such as A/C water collection, water cooler tower water reuse, grey-water reuse for flushing, industry water reuse and regulations which improve with the years.

3. The lack of natural sources, brought on the need for new sources and with it waste water reuse for agriculture:  

• Israel produces 520 mcm (million meter cube) of sewage water per year;
• 475 mcm is collected and treated (91%), the aim is to reach up to 500 mcm by 2015;
• 360 mcm is reclaimed for irrigation (75%), (Israel NewTech presentation), I am proud to say that this is a world record, the next country in line reuses around 30%.

4. Desalination - Israel is the 4^th in the world in reverse osmosis use, and 30% of its water today is desalinated with a capacity to provide Israel with the water it needs for the future. But desalination is an expensive and capital industry, so, several Israeli companies have invented solution using the solar desalination and wave desalination technology to substantially reduce the use of energy in the desalination process.

5. Water Management - Control and monitoring, these are very important components of water usage and savings, over 50% of water can be saved due to proper management.

Put all of these together concurrently with innovation and experience, you have a whole industry which can cater its services towards developing countries and can assist in tackling the vast existing water shortage. 

Ornit Avidar founded WaterWays™ in light of the growing need for clean water in off grid and rural areas and the understanding that everyone is entitled to clean drinking water. Since then she has promoted this issue and the issue of pragmatic low cost innovative solutions for all, as well as sustainability models for long-lasting projects. WaterWays™ is a provider of water solutions for rural areas. Do partner with us for projects in Africa - ornit@water-ws.com

Welcome To The Newly Launched IsraelDev Blog!

This blog will serve as an interactive platform and "go to place" for all issues related to international development and Israel's role as an engine of social and technological innovation in the developing world.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be happy to share with our community of followers, videos, events articles and op-eds, in answer to the most prominent and controversial questions of international development, addressing issues from education to health, food security to water and technology.

Regular contributors and guest experts will interactively share their ideas and stimulate dialogue around paramount issues of global poverty and Israel's role vis-a-vis development challenges. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming days and to read our latest entries!

We welcome contributions from experienced writers and experts in the field. To submit an article and to learn more about how to get involved, please contact Diana@sraelDev.org. Also, if you wish to learn more about the IsraelDev network and the different opportunities to get involved, please contact info@IsraelDev.org and watch the video above introducing our network and activities.

I look forward to this being a positive and interactive platform to share knowledge and ideas on the potential of Israeli social and technological innovation for the developing world and to stimulating an ever growing international development community in Israel.

Sincerely,

Diana Rabba

Blog Editor

Diana Rabba is the Editor-in-chief of the IsraelDev blog and a geopolitical analyst for the consultancy firm Wikistrat. Diana holds an MA in Legal and Political Theory from University College London.