Israel, as rich in history as it is in high tech achievements, is one of the most compelling spots on earth. Here, the world’s major monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – emerged, and the foundation for western civilization laid.
For millennia, the Land of Israel was crossed by ancient commerce routes and conquering armies. This land, the meeting place of three continents, has been home to a rainbow of peoples, who have left their mark through different cultures, customs and traditions. Traveling in Israel, it is impossible to miss the remnants of fortresses, shrines, arches and columns that dot every hillside, line every lane.
Within the colorful mosaic that is Israel, the Technion is located in Haifa, capital of northern Israel. Home to over a quarter of a million residents, the city is considered the gateway to the Galilee. Throughout the years, it has also gained a name for its diversity and tolerance. Haifa’s outstanding record of coexistence among its population of Jews, Christians, Muslims and other minorities clearly reflects its cultural and religious harmony.
An hour’s drive from Tel Aviv, the city is less than two hours away from Jerusalem. Overlooking the entire northern coast of Israel, Haifa is bordered on one side by forest and on the other side, sea. In between sits a bustling center of high tech, housing giants of both Israeli and foreign industry. This technological hub has spawned some of the world’s most important scientific breakthroughs.
Science and technology are obviously not the sole domain of Haifa. The State of Israel itself, despite its small size and limited resources, plays a leading role in this arena. With the highest per capita number of scientists and engineers in the world, Israel ranks among the top five countries globally for patents per person. In addition, Israel far outnumbers its European counterparts in the number of companies traded on NASDAQ, and is home to the greatest concentration of high-tech start-up companies anywhere outside the Silicon Valley.
In Israel, nine of every 1,000 workers are engaged in research and development, nearly double the rate of the USA and Japan.
The country has proportionately the highest number of publications in science and engineering worldwide. It has a larger share of publications co-authored with foreign scientists than any other nation.
