Start-Up Nation Policy Institute
Your Innovation Policy Partners

About Us

Start-Up Nation Policy Institute (SNPI) is a non-profit independent think tank, specializing in innovation policy and the Israeli innovation model.

We are the go-to destination for insights and in-depth analyses on the Israeli high-tech sector and innovation ecosystem.

Andrew Wheeler

Vered Farkash

Woman2Woman

Policy
Priorities

Our mission is to strengthen the Israeli innovation ecosystem – and help global policymakers and organizations to craft innovation policies based on the Israeli Model and it’s best practices.

Competitiveness

Achieving and maintaining leadership in the global innovation race

Inclusion

Increasing the diversity of populations participating in the innovation economy

Adoption

Using technological solutions to improve lives and tackle social challenges

Publications

Research

The Slump of the Israeli Tech Persists: Q3 2023

30.09.23

A decline in the number of foreign funds and in the share of new unicorns | Overview 

To read the full report

Publications

Research

Declining Investments and Wage Stagnation: H1 2023

02.07.23

Lowest Investments in Israeli Tech since 2018 | Israeli Tech Ecosystem Review

To read the full report

Publications

Research

A New Era for Data Flows and Privacy Protection

29.06.23

Israel and the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) Forum

To read the full report

Publications

Research

Underutilized Potential: CVCs in Israel’s Ecosystem

21.06.23

The growing CVCs activity and the missed opportunities for funding and strategic benefits

To read the full report

Publications

Research

From growth to stagnation: Human Capital Report 22-23

16.05.23

A 70% increase in layoffs in the second half of 2022; Slowdown’s impact was felt across all sectors

To read the full report

The Slump of the Israeli Tech Persists: Q3 2023

Declining Investments and Wage Stagnation: H1 2023

A New Era for Data Flows and Privacy Protection

Underutilized Potential: CVCs in Israel’s Ecosystem

From growth to stagnation: Human Capital Report 22-23

Capabilities

Research & Analysis

Producing applicable research and analysis about the intersection between technology and public policy – including technological trends, and the economic and societal aspects of technological advancement

Vered Farkash

  • Market Research

  • Access to databases and social network data

  • Economic Evaluations

  • Position Papers

  • Surveys and Analysis

Find Out How We Can Work Together






    Policy & Advocacy

    Generating research-based and data-driven policy recommendations in order to advance effective innovation policies

    Dan Miller, DHM Studio

    • Developing innovation-promoting regulation

    • Policy and legislation recommendations

    • Analysis of existing policy

    • Effective evaluations of government programs

    • Recommendations for establishment of government innovation authorities

    • Developing national strategies for emerging technologies

    Find Out How We Can Work Together






      Convening

      Cooperating with leaders from the government, business, and non-profit organizations and hosting events – in order to shape the public discourse on innovation initiatives and challenges

      Dan Miller, DHM Studio

      • Hosting policy-oriented roundtables

      • Holding conferences and events

      • Heading task forces and committees

      • Leading innovation communities

      Find Out How We Can Work Together






        Consulting and Training

        Working with governments and organizations on building effective innovation ecosystems, based on learnings from the Israeli model

        • Review of the Israeli market and opportunities for cooperation

        • Review of the Israeli innovation model and what can be learned from it by other countries

        • Ecosystem presentations, from a government policy perspective

        • Ecosystem development workshops for governments and global organizations

        Find Out How We Can Work Together






          Find Out How We Can Work Together






            Our Projects

            Leonid Altman, Shutterstock

            Assisting in establishing the Canadian Innovation Agency

            Advising the Canadian government on the formation of an Innovation Agency based on the Israeli model
            Photo by: Leonid Altman, Shutterstock

             

            The remarkable success of Israel’s high-tech industry has motivated many governments worldwide to seek guidance on establishing innovative and thriving ecosystems in their countries. One of the countries that turned to Israel for inspiration is Canada.

            SNPI CEO Uri Gabai and senior policy fellow Danny Biran worked closely with Canadian government officials to establish the Canadian Innovation Agency based, among other things, on the Israel Innovation Authority successful model. Gabai and Biran, experts in ecosystem development and former senior officials of the Israel Innovation Authority, led a two-day workshop for senior officials of various Canadian Government departments. They described Israel’s concept of innovation, the structure of its innovation ecosystem and how it evolved over time, and the government’s role in its development over several decades. They also discussed Canada’s innovation objectives and what lessons from the Israeli experience can be applied there.

            Following SNPI’s advice and guidance, the Canadian government introduced a series of initiatives in early 2023, the most notable being the establishment of an innovation agency.

            Updating the government’s high-tech data base

            Leading a committee of the Central Bureau of Statistics to provide precise information about the Israeli tech industry

            High-tech is a fast-paced industry, and as a result, reliable data is critical for formulating innovation policies. The current situation, where there is no accurate and up-to-date data, poses a significant challenge in crafting relevant policies.

            To deal with this issue, we worked to establish a committee of the Central Bureau of Statistics in Israel led by Prof. Eugene Kandel, chairman of SNPI.

            The purpose of the committee is to identify gaps in the available data, make recommendations for improvement and monitor the implementation process until an up-to-date and relevant database is created and maintained on an on-going basis. This database will be accessible to the decision-makers and will provide them with accurate and timely information to facilitate the formulation of an effective innovation policy.

            Andrew Wheeler

            Initiating the partnership with the OECD around Digital Policy

            Leading an event for the Committee on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP) in Israel
            Photo by: Andrew Wheeler

             

            Discover the future of technology policy with the OECD Emerging-Tech Policy Conference in Tel Aviv, November 2023. Join us for this ground-breaking event, where senior experts, government representatives, high-tech industry leaders, and digital ministers from OECD member countries will gather to explore the latest trends in technology policy.

            As the first integrated technology policy-future conference of its kind in Israel, this event promises to be both insightful and informative. The conference will kick off with the Global Forum on Technology Governance (GFT), followed by two days of the annual peak meeting of the Official Committee for Digital Policy of the OECD – Committee on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP). This is a unique opportunity for participants to learn from leading thinkers and practitioners in the field of technology policy.

            The conference will focus on the readiness of governments for emerging technologies, such as AI, quantum, and more. With expert speakers, interactive workshops, and engaging panel discussions, attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by the technologies of the future.

            Assessing the effectiveness of national R&D infrastructures in Israel

            Maximizing future impact of government-funded R&D infrastructures

            Over the last few decades, the TELEM Forum (National R&D Infrastructures) has invested hundreds of millions of shekels in a number of R&D infrastructures, in a broad range of areas. The vision has been that such infrastructures could develop knowledge and expertise in areas of high long-term potential, and contribute to Israel’s academia, industry, and economy.

            In 2022, SNPI was requested by the Israel Innovation Authority to assess the effectiveness of those infrastructures, with focus on their contribution to Israel’s industries.

            As part of this project we reviewed a number of select infrastructures, including areas like operations, KPIs and reporting, impact on the industry, and also reviewed international comparable infrastructures. At the conclusion of the assessment we issued a detailed report, including specific recommendations.

            We presented our report to the Israel Innovation Authority, to the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Israel Council for Higher Education, and to the TELEM Forum. Our recommendations are already being implemented in new infrastructures.

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