The “Wheels of Life” project was launched in 2013, in order to compare Israel’s performance with the performance of other countries in five main dimensions of Israel’s society: economics, innovation, science and technology, society-governance- education, environment, and energy. The data source used for comparative analysis is the World Competitiveness Yearbook of the IMD School of Management, a leading business school in Lausanne, Switzerland, which presents data on a wide range of global competitiveness variables in 60 countries.
Each such dimension was defined in a “Wheel”, which analyzes Israel in relation to the other countries, where 5-10 indicators are presented. In each indicator, Israel is ranked among 60 countries that compete in global markets. The indicators were selected by the research teams. A high rating (No. 1) places the indicator close to the circumference of the wheel. A low rating (No. 60) places the indicator at the center of the wheel. The painted area within the wheel shows the general performance of Israel in the same dimension. A large area within the wheel presents Israel’s general performance on that dimension. A large area attests to Israel’s excellence; a small area indicates Israel’s backwardness. Some of the indicators are objective, for example, per capita GDP, and some are subjective by nature, for example, “science education in schools is sufficiently emphasized” on a scale from 1 to 5, where 5 means “absolutely agree”. The main conclusion of these analyses was that Israel’s huge achievements in the field of innovation, science, and technology are not expressed at all in the field of economy, where Israel is lagging behind.
The continuation of the Wheels of Life for 2016, presents relevant publications that the Samuel Neaman Institute published during the course of 2016 on the five topics in recent years. All Neaman Institute studies can be found at the Samuel Neaman Institute website: www.neaman.org.il
Science and Technology
As in innovation, Israel is also among the world’s leaders in many scientific and technological indices. An important aspect of science and technology in Israel is cooperation with the US. Studies conducted by the Samuel Neaman Institute in 2016 relating to science and technology include:
“Academic Relations between Israel and the US” focuses on academic relations between Israel and the US. Among the topics examined are quantitative trends in joint research outputs, leading areas in joint research outputs, leading institutions in joint research outputs, and more.
“Holistic Assessment of Science Communication according to Different Stakeholders’ Views: Scientists, Teachers, Students, Pupils and the Public”. This study analyzes holistically the attitudes and rankings of the importance of scientific communication to scientific platforms and the sharing of scientific knowledge among different audiences.
“Towards Evidence-Based Policy in the Field of Science Communication in Israel”. The study quantified the coverage of science subjects and described the ways in which science is presented to the public, the common fields of research, and the differences in science coverage between different sources.
“Sustainable developmentent of Marine Agriculture in the Mediterranean Sea of Israel” details the general principles of government policy in the field of agriculture existing in the Mediterranean Sea in Israel.
“Dual Use of Space and Satellite Technologies” reviews the dual purpose use status in Israel and around the world, in the areas of interest of the State of Israel, and includes recommendations for improving the manner of work in order to improve the use of existing budgetary resources.
“Israel’s Research Status: What Do the Indicators Really Describe?” examines the quantitative assessment of the quality of research in Israel.
Economics
The Wheels of Life of Samuel Neaman Institute show that for years Israel has not exploited the full potential of its excellence and leadership in science, technology, and innovation in terms of economic advantages. The Samuel Neaman Institute’s studies of 2016, which shed light on the problem, are as follows.
“The carob tree: A systemic, revolutionary and radical solution to the pension crisis” is a report that addresses the global pension crisis, characterizes the root of the problem and its causes it in Israel and abroad, and offers a long-term radical solution, feasible in Israel and other Western countries, which could lead to accelerated economic growth.
“Surplus agricultural produce in the field (fruits and vegetables) and their optimal use” focuses on the production of surplus fruit and vegetables, and proposes policy measures to reduce these surpluses and make their use more efficient.
“The oil and gas sector in Israel: Economic and geopolitical aspects” reviews the oil and gas sector in Israel as of the beginning of 2016, and estimates the effect of the decline in oil prices on the Israeli economy. The study suggests ways to help exploit gas discoveries in Israel to maximize economic and geopolitical benefits.
“Assessing the economic damage of the fuel leak at the Beer Ora Junction 3/12/14: Economic Opinion” presents the full picture of the damage caused as a result of the event, by using a model developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
“The assessment of the benefits to the economy from transportation tunnels: The Carmel Tunnels case study” provides an economic assessment of the use of the transportation tunnels in the Carmel.
Innovation
The Innovation Wheel shows that Israel is a leader and is one of the leaders on key innovation indices, and therefore the innovation area in the Wheel is quite large. Field-related studies conducted during 2016 include the following.
“R&D Activity, Infrastructure and Manpower in the Field of Civil Space in Industry, Academe, and the Education System in Israel” presenting detailed data on the space industry, in terms of manpower, R&D expenditure, mapping of knowledge centers, R&D output, and education in the field of space.
“A Survey to Examine the Difficulties in Nanotechnology Transfer from the Academe to Industry” was aimed to examine obstacles in the transfer of technology from the nanotechnology fields at the academe to the industry.
“Mapping Research and Innovation in the State of Israel” is the result of a unique collaboration between the Samuel Neaman Institute and the Science Policy Division of UNESCO, and was commissioned by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
“Israelis in Berlin: A Community in Progress” examines the Israeli entrepreneur community in Berlin: the motives for Israeli emigration to Berlin in light of the limitations of the language and the political history of Israel and Germany, the establishment of community life of Israeli immigrants in Berlin, and how Israeli immigrants perceive their life in Berlin.
Society, Government and Education
The Samuel Neaman Institute’s research focuses not only on technological issues, but also on their social impact. Studies conducted in 2016 in this area include the following.
“How to draw Haredim to science and technology professions?” suggests ways to integrate the Ultra-Orthodox into science and technology fields in Israel.
“Traffic Light to the North” is a three-year program designed to improve the extreme shortage of math teachers at the 5-point level. The findings were presented to the Trump Foundation and to the Northern District of the Ministry of Education.
“Mass Teaching Online: Disruptive Innovation at Universities?” The purpose of the study is to examine and clarify various aspects of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that have developed in recent years.
“Looking at the Future of Universities: Is the Revolution Beginning?” deals with the future of universities, and examines the impact of current processes on the future of research universities. A revolution may be followed by the universities’ need to reinvent themselves.
Quality of the Environment and Energy
In the field of Energy and the Environment, the Samuel Neaman Institute has extensive activities both in research and in the field of conferences and forums. For example, the Samuel Neaman Institute leads the Energy Forum, which brings together leading experts in the fields of government, the academe, and the public, with the goal of discussing crucial issues in the field of energy. Each forum session includes reporting by the experts on a specific topic, suggesting counseling and opinions on the subject in Israel.
In 2016, the following forums were held:
Energy Forum No. 36: Energy Efficiency in Israel: Upgrading Energy Systems in Factories and Organizations.
Energy Forum No. 37: Energy Security in Israel.
Energy Forum No. 38: Implementation Measures after Approval of the Gas Layout in Israel.
Other environmental and energy activities during 2016 included:
“Greenhouse Gas Reporting and Registration System in Israel: Summary of 2015 Reports”. The staff of the Samuel Neaman Institute has developed a special tool that is used to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and document the emission inventories of the reporting entity.
“Renewable Energy Industry and Energy Efficiency in Israel: Updated Status and Policy Recommendations for Leveraging R&D and the Israeli Industry”, a report that provides a rating of Israel’s status and position in the field.
“National Priorities in the Field of Environmental Quality: Tenth Position Paper – Israel’s Innovative Agricultural Technology Industry, 2016”. This document, the tenth in a series of national priority documents in the field of environmental protection, concentrates up-to-date material and brings the subject of aggrotech technologies to the public agenda.
