What factors do you believe are necessary to drive innovation
Is innovation driven by a country’s government, businesses or
and entrepreneurship within a country?
its people?
To drive innovation and entrepreneurship within a country, some
A country’s innovative spirit either exists or not. Certainly,
basic factors need to be present:
innovation can be encouraged and developed by the government
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A flourishing economic environment with less government control and involvement;
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A multi-cultural society, more often than not influenced by the degree of immigration it allows (higher and more varied immigration leads to variety within the types of people that make up a country’s society – the more varied it is, the more creativity abounds);
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A can-do spirit that often rests upon the country’s history and heritage;
• •
An acceptance of failure as an integral component of
some countries simply have it as part of their national character. Government can support innovation by providing the necessary infrastructure, which in turn encourages businesses to invest and for people to thrive. Where incentives exist, entrepreneurship abounds. That being said, if the people themselves – like in the case of Israel - have a spirit of entrepreneurship that transcends their geographic definition and limitations, then even if the government does not provide the necessary infrastructure, it will happen by inertia.
break-throughs and new ideas;
How has Israel’s approach to innovation changed over time?
Significant government and private sector investment (but
Innovation has always been a part of Israel’s very existence.
not, as aforesaid, control) in industries where innovation and entrepreneurship are a necessity – such as high tech.
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where a country’s innovative spirit is not very developed, but
When the state was established, it had to deal with almost impossible conditions, such as waves of immigration following