Most of this country's outstanding scientific and
technological developments have been mentioned,
over the years, in individual issues of our
Israel High-Tech & Investment Report. However, on
the occasion of the 57th Day of Independence we
take the opportunity of listing together, some of
these achievements.
Computer technology and telecommunications rank high on the list.
We recall that the cell phone was first developed
at the Motorola plant in Israel.
Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems
were developed by Microsoft-Israel.
The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed at Intel Israel.
Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor for desktop
computers and the Centrino processor for laptops
were entirely designed, developed and produced in
Israel.
Computerized billing technology was developed in
Israel. The Israeli company Amdocs is the largest
company in the world in this field.
Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only
foreign-based research and development facilities
in Israel.
The program ICQ, which is the technological basis
for AOL Instant Messenger, was developed in 1996
by four young Israelis.
Disk on Key - a portable, virtual hard disk - was
developed by the Israeli company M-Systems. When
we travel we never neglect taking vital material
on this miniature hard disk, with us.
This love affair with computers is evident in
that Israel has the highest number of personal
computers per capita in the world.
Israeli software company Check Point is the
global leader in Virtual Private Network (VPN)
and firewall technologies.
In proportion to its population, Israel has the
largest number of start-up companies in the
world. In absolute terms, Israel has the largest
number of start-up companies, than any other
country in the world, second only to the US.
With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and
start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration
of hi-tech companies in the world - with the
exception of Silicon Valley.
Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture
capital funds, right behind the United States.
Outside the United States and Canada, Israel has
the largest number of companies listed on NASDAQ.
A 12th century physician Moshe ben Maimon-Rambam
(Maimonides) is the role model for a generation
of Israeli physicians who became active not only
in the care of the sick but in the development of
treatments and medical systems.
They developed the first fully computerized,
no-radiation diagnostic instrumentation for
breast cancer.
An Israeli company developed a computerized
system for ensuring proper administration of
medications, thus removing human error from
medical treatment. Every year in U. S. hospitals
7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.
Israel's Given Imaging developed the PillCam -
the first ingestible video camera, which is so
small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the
small intestine from the inside, the camera helps
doctors diagnose digestive disorders of the small
intestine and esophagus without invasive
treatment.
C2Cure is producing disposable miniature imaging
medical devices. The viewing systems consist of
miniature, disposable video camera and a light
source that are assembled on the tip of
endoscopes. The technology is suitable for
minimally invasive surgery (MIS) endoscopic
market and the intra-vascular segment.
A new acne treatment developed in Israel causes
acne bacteria to self-destruct - all without
damaging surroundings skin or tissue.
A new brain implant has been developed in Israel
that can lower the risk of stroke, by diverting
blood clots away from sensitive areas of the
brain.
Primate research at Hebrew University is leading
to the development of a robotic arm, that can
respond to the brain commands of a paralyzed
person.
Two Israeli researchers are creating
cancer-killing molecules that will recognize
cancerous cells and target them aggressively,
while not affecting normal cells.
Israeli researchers developed a novel stem cell
therapy to treat Parkinson's Disease - using a
patient's own bone marrow stem cells to produce
the missing chemical that enable the restoration
of the motor movement.
Insightec developed an ultrasound system for removing tumors without surgery.
Researchers at the Technion have developed an
antibiotic that destroys anthrax bacteria as well
as the toxins it secretes into the bloodstream of
the infected body.
Elta is responsible for the world's first
civilian aircraft equipped with technology
designed to protect airliners from a missile
attack.
Israel has, for many years, held the world record in milk production.
Drip irrigation - the system that is based on
using plastic pipes that release small amounts of
water next to roots of plants - was developed by
the Israeli engineer Simcha Blas in the 1970's.
The invention caused a revolution in agriculture
and has been adopted by farmers in many countries
Israeli company Silent Communications has
developed a type of silent conversation system
for cell phones, so users can carry on
conversations without saying a word.
The Israeli company Wondernet is currently
dominating the world market in document signature
authentication, with its unique scientific method
of verifying handwritten signatures.
The Quicktionary, a pen size scanner that scans a
word or a sentence and translates it to a
different language, was developed by the Wizcom
Company, based in Jerusalem.
Professor Ehud Keinan from the Technion Israel
Institute of Technology developed a pen that
identifies an improvised explosive.
All this from Israel the 100th smallest country,
with less than 1/1000th of the world's population
In less than five decades this country has
produced two Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, an
astronaut, hundreds of computer specialists,
inventors and countless entrepreneurs. These
world class individuals are just a part of the
nucleus, of a society that participates in
globalization and increases the economic standard
of the citizens of this country.