This paper provides a review of Israel's science and technology policy and traces the growth and development of technology intensive industry in that country. Such policy has generally been neutral with regard to industry, technological field or class of product; concentrates on industrial R & D directly performed in industrial firms; and is an integral part of overall national industrial policy — being centred in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Drawing upon case studies and other statistical evidence, the paper argues that such policy has been partly responsible for Israel's success in building up an indigenous, export-oriented, high technology sector.
Professor A. Lavie, chief scientist of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry at a conference on sciency policy, June 1981.
N. Arnon, ‘Principal developments in science and technology during the first 30 years of the nation', (in Hebrew) Maarajot, April 1978; Y. Dudai, Scientific Research in Israel, (in Hebrew) National Council for Research and Development, Jerusalem 1974; and S. Hershkovitz, Government allocations to R & D in Israel, 1976/77—1978/79 (in Hebrew), National Council for R & D, Jerusalem February 1970.
Dudai, op.cit.
I. Magaziner and T. Hout, Japanese Industrial Policy, Policy Studies Institute, No. 585, January 1980.
E. Mansfield, J. Rapoport, J. Schnee, S. Wagner, and M. Hamburger, Research and Innovation in the Modern Corporation, Norton, New York, 1971. p. 110.
A. Pakes, and S. Lach, Civilian Research and Development Activity in Israeli Industry: A Look at the Data, The Falk Institute, Jerusalem, August 1982.
L. Westphal, & ‘Fostering technology mastery by means of selective infant-industry protection’, in M. Syrquin, and S. Teitel (eds), Trade, Stability, Technology, and Equity in Latin America, Academic Press, New York, 1982, pp. 255—279.
On the case of Norway, see J. Irvine, B. Martin, M. Schwarz, K. Pavitt, and R. Rothwell, The Assessment of Government Support for Industrial Research: Lessons from a Study of Norway, SPRU, University of Sussex, Lewes, 1982. 1.
In this connection, while technological creativity may contribute to commercial success, it would be erroneous to base the promotion of emerging systems of industrial technology wholly on criteria of scientific and technological originality. See M. Teubal, N. Arnon, and M. Trachtenberg, ‘Performance in innovation in the Israeli electronics industry: a case study of biomedical electronics instrumentation’, Research Policy, V, 1976, pp. 354—379.
Shaul Katz, and Joseph Ben-David, ‘Scientific research and agricultural innovation in Israel’, Minerva, XIII, Summer 1975, pp. 152—182.
P. Spiller, and M. Teubal, “Analysis of R & D failure”, Research Policy, VI, 1977. This view is also consistent with the conclusions of Project SAPPHO: see Success and Failure in Industrial Innovation: Report on Project SAPPHO, Centre for the Study of Industrial Innovation, London, 1972.
Teubal, et 01., op. cit., 1976 and Spiller and Teubal, op. cit., 1977.
Office of the Chief Scientist, 1976. These are firms receiving support from the Office and presumably mainly involved in civilian industrial research and development.
Pakes and Lach, op. cit.
ibid.
Most of this information is obtained from publications of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Office of the Chief Scientist.
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Office of the Chief Scientist, Industrial R & D, (in Hebrew), Jerusalem, 1976.
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Office of the Chief Scientist, Directory Science-Based Industry, Jerusalem, 1974, 1976, 1977.