National R&D Council warns: The startup nation’s future is endangered
National R&D Council warns: The startup nation’s future is endangered
In a letter to PM Netanyahu, members of the advisory council to the government on research & development and heads of the universities, warn about a significant decrease in R&D investments in Israel
Members of the National Research and Development Council (NRDC) and the Council of University Heads (RCD) warn of a series of "destructive processes" harming research and development in Israel. Among them: a significant decrease in investments in R&D in Israel, a decrease in the research grants that Israeli scientists receive, an end to donations and the cancellation of the participation of leading scientists from around the world in conferences in Israel. According to them, there has been a major deterioration in recent weeks and this "may endanger the future of the startup nation".
This was expressed in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Education Yoav Kisch and Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Ofir Akunis.
The NRDC is the national body that advises the government on research and development issues. Among the members of the council who signed the letter are the chairman of the council, the former president of the Technion Prof. Peretz Lavie; The former CEO of the Innovation Authority and the former Vice President of Technologies and Hardware of Apple Worldwide, Aharon Aharon; Arik Kleinstein of the venture capital fund Gillot Capital, and the president of Kaltura Michal Tsur.
The letter states: "We - scientists, academics, entrepreneurs and high-tech people, members of the National Council for Civil Research and Development and the presidents of Israel's public universities, wish to alert you to the accumulation of clear warning signs for the future of scientific research in the State of Israel." According to them, "the research and development activities in Israel have brought Israel tremendous successes and economic strength, which most countries in the world envy. In recent months, especially in the last few weeks, signs have accumulated indicating destructive processes that may damage Israel's scientific strength.
Among other things, they wrote that they are witnessing "a significant decrease in the willingness of leading Israeli scientists who are abroad to accept academic positions in Israel and return to settle; A growing fear of the departure of outstanding personnel in Israel's science and technology fields; The world's leading scientists canceling their participation in scientific conferences in Israel; Explicit threats to cancel scientific collaborations between scientists in Israel and the scientists of the world."
In the financial field, the signatories report the following phenomena: "Explicit threats by donors, in all higher education institutions, to stop their donations because of the judicial reform. There are already (a few) donors who have announced the cessation of donations; a decrease in research grants that Israeli scientists receive; a significant decrease in R&D investments from international organizations abroad in Israeli high-tech companies and R&D in Israel"
The signatories emphasize that "many in the scientific community have feelings of apprehension and danger regarding their future. As a result, many of them lose confidence and prefer to abandon ship. Both the members of the council and the presidents of the universities are witnesses to the departure of researchers from Israel, to the unwillingness to return to Israel, and real damage to relations with the scientific elite in the world." According to them, "the damage that accumulates and increases may seriously endanger the future of the startup nation and the great fear is that the damage will be irreversible."
