Projects & Reports
Current Projects
Israel 2028: Vision & Strategy Plan
Pictures from the Israel 2028 event in Washington DC can be seen here.
Watch Now! Eli Hurvitz Interview Segment from Channel 10’s London & Kirschenbaum. Click here to view.
Final Report (English)
Final Report (Hebrew)
Israel 2028: Vision & Strategy for
Economy and Society in a Global World
The U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation and Commission originated the first ever plan for Israel's economic future, known as “Israel 2028: Vision & Strategy for Economy and Society in a Global World”. By commissioning this comprehensive study, our aim is to map the path for a strong and prosperous Israel, placed within the leading fifteen countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita within the dynamic global economy. Economic strength is crucial to Israel's long-term survival as a market economy and democratic society, in addition to buttressing the unique strategic relationship between Israel and the United States.
The Plan promotes the vision of Israel achieving this lofty goal through development of its scientific-technological capabilities, its wealth of its human capital, innovativeness and entrepreneurship. The ever-changing environment created by globalization is the chief element to which Israel, as a small nation and economy, must adapt. The friction Israel is experiencing between national priorities and the global reality is not unusual, though it is unique in that it must tackle these issues under intense security and geopolitical considerations
The economic strategy initially outlined in the “Israel 2028: Vision & Strategy” Plan takes a wide-ranging scope and an evolutionary approach that requires profound changes in several fundamental areas. The methodology for the study has been endorsed at the highest levels of government, with an ear to the central voice of industry. A high-level steering committee of leading industrialists and academics worked diligently to present a plan with policy tools to take Israel from the status quo to one of the world’s leading economies.
The plan, published in March 2008 addresses the following topics, examined in depth by groups of Israeli and U.S. experts: macroeconomies, higher education and scientific research, environmental issues, public service institutional change, scientific technological research and development, labor policy, globalization, and physical infrastructures. In April 2009, a new chapter “Implementing National Strategy in a Time of Crisis” was presented to address the primary effects of the world crisis on Israel and its implications for plan in light of the global financial crisis and internal political challenges facing Israel.Israel 2028 was presented to the Prime Minister of Israel in March 2008 and to the Directors General Forum in late April 2008. Another milestone was reached in May 2008 when the Prime Minister introduced the Plan to the Government, expressing his belief that the time had come for Israel to take a long-term perspective. Mr. Olmert expressed his appreciation for the initiative of the Commission and Foundation, and the leadership of its chairman, Chief Scientist Eli Opper and particularly Eli Hurvitz, Sami Friedreich and David Brodet of the project's Steering Committee.
In parallel to the process of adoption of the Plan by the Government of Israel and initiation of its implementation, the USISTF has undertaken an information campaign in the United States to inform government, industry and academica in the United States about the plan. In partnership with USISTF, the U.S. Congressional Democratic Israel Working Group and the Republican Israel Caucus sponsored a congressional briefing in May 2009 that featured Eli Hurvitz and David Brodet, Chairman of the Israel 2028 steering committee and editor of Israel 2028 in addition to outside experts Phil Bond of TechAmerica and Kathryn Atchison, Vice Provost for Intellectual Property and Vice Chancellor of Research, UCLA. Also in May 2009, USISTF co-sponsored a briefing on the project for an expert audience at the World Bank.
Commencing in June 2009, USISTC/F will partner with the prestigious Technion-based Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Research in Science and Technology (SNI) to support the implementation of the strategic Israel 2028 vision into a dynamic, executable working plan. SNI and USISTF/C are setting up teams of experts to develop implementation strategies for physical, human capital and industrial, scientific and technological infrastructures in addition to a team devoted to globalization and integration. The infrastructure teams will work in consultation with relevant Israeli government ministries to identify the directions and priorities of the infrastructures which Israel should invest in to contribute most to the implementation of this vision. The globalization team will analyze globalization data and strive to obtain an inclusive, overall systemic vision for implementing the plan to increase Israel’s competitiveness.
The Foundation intends to leverage the Plan to promote a variety of investment and collaborative opportunities that will further cement U.S. and Israeli economic ties.
