Israel’s competitive-edge highlighted by global walk (unlike global talk)

1. According to Defense News, “Touted by US and Israeli officials as a new milestone in decades-long defense-industrial cooperation, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI) inaugurated a production line on Tuesday to provide wings for Lockheed Martin-produced F-35 joint strike fighters. Under an estimated $2.5bn industrial cooperation deal, the new facility at IAI’s Lahav Division will produce up to 811 wing sets through 2030 at a rate of four per month. Current plans are earmarking Israeli-built wings for fighters on order for the US and Israeli Air Forces and future export customers…. The decision to entrust IAI with critical wing builds follows three decades of successful cooperation on the F-16 and T-38 programs…. It takes [bilateral] cooperation to a new level and launches a new era in shared commitment…. Israel-built wings for the F-35 along with the selection of [Israel’s] Elbit Systems for helmet-mounted displays are a show of strength and growing strategic ties…. The new facility [said IAI’s Chairman] will establish IAI as a global center of excellence for wing companies.”

2. 2014 has been a record year (and it’s not over yet): $3.6bn have been raised by 26 Israeli companies on the New York Stock Exchange in initial, and secondary, public offerings, compared with $335mn in 1994 (Globes, October 31, 2014).

3. 2014 has been a record year (and it’s not over yet): $3.5bn invested by global companies (such as Pratt and Whitney, Qualcomm, 3D Systems, Erickson, Google and Yahoo) in the acquisition of Israeli companies (Globes, October 31). In addition, Israel’s DiWip was acquired by Canada’s Imperus Technologies for $100mn (Globes, October 20). France’s Publicis acquired a 25% controlling interest in Israel’s Matomy for $82mn (Globes, Oct. 14).

4. Jordan concluded a $15bn, 15 year contract with Houston’s Noble Energy for the supply of natural gas from the offshore Leviathan field in Israel (Globes, September 4). Turkey and Israel explore the possibility of constructing a natural gas pipeline from Israel’s offshore fields to Turkey.

5. Israel’s Rafael won a $525mn bid to supply India with over 8,000 laser-guided, man-portable, anti-tank Spike missiles and more than 300 launchers (Asian Defense News, October 24, 2014). Israel has emerged as the second largest supplier of military systems to India, the world’s largest arms buyer, $10bn during the recent decade (Israel-India Defense Cooperation, the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies). Rafael will introduce, at the annual EuroNaval show in France, its unique C-Dome missile defense system, the naval “Iron Dome,” protecting naval vessels and installations (Globes, October 27). Israel’s Elbit won an $85mn bid to refurbish F-5 combat planes of an Asian country. Previously, similar contracts were signed with Brazil and Turkey (Globes, Oct. 23).

6. Israel’s ISDS won a $2.2bn bid for the management/integration of the security system in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil (Globes, October 23).

7. China has expanded investments in Israel’s high tech sector. For example, the China’s GoCapital venture capital fund invested $12.5mn in Israel’s CNoga, known for its non-invasive technologies (Globes, Oct. 28). Shanghai GEOC, Hengtong Investment and Fortune China invested $12.5mn in Israel’s Insightec (Globes, Sept. 15). China’s Fosun Pharma led a $12mn round of private placement – joined by GE Healthcare – by Israel’s Check-Cap (Globes, Oct. 20).

Straight from the Jerusalem Boardroom #248
https://bit.ly/3u29k9g

Foreign investment in Israel’s high-tech companies surged to new heights in the 1^st quarter of 2021 – $5.7bn in 172 deals – which is up 89% over the impressive 4^th quarter of 2020 and double the volume of the 1^st quarter of 2020.

2020 was the first year of surpassing $10bn in capital raised by the Israeli high-tech sector from investors in the US, Asia and Europe, who trust the maturity of Israel’s brain power. Investments in Israeli companies more than tripled in six years, reflecting the effective response by Israeli startups to the technological, medical, pharmaceutical, educational, social and digital challenges posed by Covid-19.

Israel’s economic performance in defiance of Covid-19 is presented by Dr. Adam Reuter, the Chairman and Founder of “Financial Immunities,” Israel’s largest financial-risk management firm, and the co-author of Israel – Island of Success:

Israel has led the globe in the rapid administration of Covid-19 vaccinations due to effective negotiations with Pfizer and an efficient, country-wide medical infrastructure.
Israel is the second lowest among OECD countries in the number of Covid-19 deaths per number of Covid-19 cases: 0.7% compared to the 2.3% OECD average. Israel features a young population (median age of 30 compared to the OECD’s 42) and an effective country-wide medical infrastructure, including top level HMOs and hospitals.
Israel is ranked 12^th from the bottom among the 37 OECD countries in the number of deaths per million inhabitants: 645 compared to 1,145 OECD average.
The International Monetary Fund’s 2025 GDP growth forecast for OECD countries: Israel – 4%, OECD average – 2.2%, US – 1.8%, Australia – 2.5%, Ireland – 2.6%, France and Canada – 1.7%, the UK – 1.6%, Germany – 1.2%, etc.
Israel’s 2020 GDP was reduced by 2.5%, compared to the OECD average reduction of 4.1%, South Korea – 1%, Norway – 0.8%, Australia – 2.6%, US – 3.5%, Japan – 4.8%, Germany – 5%, France – 8%, the UK – 10% reduction, etc. GDP growth was recorded in New Zealand – 2.4% and Ireland – 3.5%.
In 2020, Israel was ranked 20^th among the 37 members of the OECD in terms of GDP per capita, featuring $43,000 (GDP – $408bn), ahead of Japan, Italy and Spain, and very close behind the UK ($44,000) and France ($45,000).
Israel’s debt-to-GDP ratio increased from 60% in 2019 to 72% in 2020, compared to the OECD’s average increase from 66% to 82%. The 2020’s debt-to-GDP ratio was 266% in Japan, Italy – 161%, the US – 131%, Germany – 73%, etc.
Israel’s foreign exchange reserves-to-GDP ratio of 41% (3^rd among the OECD countries) attests to its financial stability, and Israel’s capability to raise foreign credit promptly in a cost-effective manner. Israel’s foreign exchange reserves in March 2021 – $186bn.
During the past decade, Standard and Poor (S&P) accorded Israel a positive credit rating trend, unlike the negative trend for the G-7 countries. In 2020, notwithstanding Covid-19, Israel’s credit rating (S&P) remained at AA.
Some 380 global high-tech giants operate in Israel, including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Intel, Cisco, Apple, Verizon, Applied Materials, Dell, HP, Kodak, Oracle, Philips, SAP, Medtronics, GM, eBay, GE, etc. Israel leads the world in the ratio of research and development investment to GDP: 4.9%. 85% of this investment comes from the business sector.

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