The College of Charleston is spearheading its first interdisciplinary study abroad initiative in Israel with its inauguration scheduled for Fall 2012. Select Fall courses on Israeli culture and an independent study in business course lead up to taking these College of Charleston students to Israel during the 2012 winter break. Jonathan Zucker, CEO of the InterTech Group and founder and chairman of the South Carolina-Israel Collaboration Initiative to encourage business alliances and trade between the two regions, is acting as a catalyst for the Israel Initiative. Participating programs in the Israel Initiative include the School of Business and the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program and the program of International and InterCultural Studies. The College of Charleston is partnering with MASA Israel Journey, a project of the Government of Israel and Jewish communities around the world, represented by the Jewish Agency for Israel and its partners, United Jewish Communities / the Federations of North America, and Keren Hayesod – UIA. The long-term goal is to encourage College of Charleston students to study for a semester in Israel in an organized College of Charleston study abroad experience, and also work as interns at Israeli companies.

Working closely with her interdisciplinary colleagues, Jocelyn Evans, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students in the School of Business, is coordinating a program that meets the mission and vision of all organizational players.  “We are ecstatic to be expanding our study abroad opportunities to Israel, increasing our students’ understanding of a modern culture thriving with the cognizance of its ancient traditions,” offers David Cohen, the Dean of the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs; home of both Jewish Studies and International Studies. His colleague, Dean of the School of Business Alan Shao adds, “We see Israel as a fertile business ground.  It is a place that our students must be exposed to so that they are well prepared to compete in the 21st century global market.  We plan to involve several of our Centers of Excellence in this initiative, including Entrepreneurship, Tourism Analysis, Global Logistics & Transportation, and Global Business”

In the visionary way that is a trademark of his family, Mr. Zucker says, “Exposing the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs to Israel’s amazing innovation and intense entrepreneurial spirit is a wonderful step in helping us make our state and our country more competitive in the global economy. The College of Charleston should be commended on its aggressive pursuit of excellence in Business, International Studies and Jewish Studies.  Through the joint effort of these departments, the College will lead the way in our state at inspiring our young people to succeed.”

The timeline is to have students on these travel courses to Israel in December 2012 and December 2013. The College plans to establish a study abroad initiative in Israel in the 2014-2015 academic year.

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AICC Credited with Introduction to MUSC

Rehovot-based IDEA Bio-Medical and Charleston-based Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) announced that they have completed the sale of IDEA Bio’s Hermes WiScan® system to MUSC’s Center for Drug Discovery.  “This sale marks IDEA Bio-Medical’s official entry into the US market,” said Ilan Friedman, Manager of Global Sales and Distribution Channels at IDEA Bio-Medical.

Hermes WiScan® is a breakthrough biological cell imaging desktop system that enables researchers, at all levels, to run a wide variety of biological applications at the push-of-a-button, using an extremely easy-to-use (tablet-style) touch screen mechanism.  The company offers a base system that meets most research needs, and an additional set of modular packages like Live Cell, Object Mapping, and more.  WiScan® technology originated at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, and was further developed by IDEA Bio-Medical’s parent company as part of a commercialization agreement with YEDA – the Institute’s technology transfer arm.  The parent company, IDEA Machine Development, is an established Original Design Manufacturer that specializes in precision optics and laser-based technologies, and boasts such clients as KLA Tencor, HP, Orbotech, and the Israeli defense establishment.

IDEA Bio’s connection to the Southeast began with a meeting between its CEO, Shlomo Turgeman, and Tom Glaser, President of the Atlanta-based American-Israel Chamber of Commerce during one of his visits to Israel.  Shlomo later hired Friedman, who arranged the meeting, to handle global sales and interact with distributors worldwide.  “My first order of business was to sign up IDEA Bio-Medical as a member of the Chamber, and to ask for its assistance in reaching Southeastern-based universities that conduct biomedical research.  Tom introduced me to several of his contacts at universities in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, and I soon had meetings lined up to discuss our system,” said Friedman.

“Having been involved with the Chamber, I was already aware of the amazing technologies coming out of Israel.  This is why I was curious to hear more about this system,” said Stephen Lanier, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Research MUSC.  He then turned it over to Patrick M. Woster, who is the South Carolina SmartState™ Endowed Chair for Drug Discovery at MUSC and Director of the Drug Design and Synthesis core facility, to test the system.  “Hermes is about the size of a large printer, processes information with incredible speed, and performs a wide variety of cell-based experiments that meet our overall research needs,” said Woster.

Ultimately, the decision to purchase Hermes was based on the technology and the need.  But the path which led to MUSC’s awareness of the system involved building upon relationships between people on both sides of the ocean.  In February 2011, AICC organized the South Carolina-Israel Collaboration with a grant support from Charleston-based The InterTech Group, designed to foster mutual relationships between companies in Israel and in South Carolina and their counterpart investors, partners and customers.  It is focused on six clusters, among them Biomedical, and includes educational events and business exchanges around companies and academia, and the organization of business and academic delegations.  In mid-November, the Chamber led a 26-person delegation to Israel.  The group, which was split between business people and academic researchers, among them Lanier, got a chance to see the system in action at the Weizmann Institute.

“We’re committed to doing business with Israeli-based companies, not only because of our strong connection to the country, but also because we recognize that so many advanced solutions are created in Israel.  IDEA’s product is an example of how Israeli ingenuity could produce a product that works better, faster, and more reliably than its competition, yet costs a fraction of it,” said Jonathan Zucker, President of The InterTech Group and chairman of the Collaboration.

Boeing presents at January 31st seminar

Sixty participants from 32 South Carolina companies learned about selling to Israel’s Ministry of Defense at the January 31^st seminar at SCRA in Charleston.  Organized by the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, SE Region, the event featured a briefing by the Ministry’s procurement team based at their New York mission and included presentations by six of the companies and one-on-one meetings to discuss how to get their products and services to the attention of the buyers.

Israel receives almost $3 billion annually in US foreign aid, and $2.2 billion of this amount is spent on purchases from American companies.  This presents an outstanding opportunity for Southeast companies, and yet just $37 million was procured in 2010 from companies in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“While not an insignificant number, we can do much more to educate our companies as well as the Israeli procurement officials to stimulate much higher purchases this year and beyond,” said AICC President Tom Glaser.

A highlight of the seminar was the case study of Tognum America which was recently awarded a multi-million dollar contract to assemble the engines for Israel’s Merkava tank at their Aiken County, South Carolina facility.  A third assembly line is being added to handle this important project.  Another South Carolina company, AMBAC, is a supplier of parts for the tank’s engine.

Co-sponsoring the seminar were the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast, the American Israel Educational Institute, Charleston Defense Contractors Association, The InterTech Group, Jack Moore, Charleston Regional Development Authority, Israel Economic Mission, Greater Charleston Chamber of Commerce, Womble Carlyle, SCRA, New Carolina, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and Tognum America.

By Liz Segrist, Charleston Regional Business
February 2, 2012

South Carolina could learn a lesson from Israel’s funding model that supports innovation and entrepreneurship and earned it the nickname “The Start-Up Nation.”

“Israel’s key export is knowledge,” said Jonathan Zucker, president of Charleston-based The InterTech Group. “A country the size of Rhode Island has a level of innovation happening there right now that exceeds that which is happening in our country right now.”

Israel didn’t have much in the way of venture capitalist support for innovation and R&D until the early 1990s. The government created a model that supports entrepreneurial growth — one that could be duplicated in South Carolina, said Nili Shalev, the Israeli government’s economic minister to North America.

“In 1991, there was virtually no venture capital in Israel and the government made an intervention. Now, not all of government interventions are smart or successful,” Shalev said, receiving laughs from more than 100 people attending GSA Business’ Power Breakfast event Thursday. “But, this is one model that can be exported to other places.”

Shalev and Zucker were panelists at the event, along with Tom Glaser, president of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Region.

The Israeli government offered $100 million and called for proposals from the private sector worldwide, especially to the U.S.  Any group of companies that could bring $10 million to the table would receive a government match. The private group would then buy out the government, allowing the companies to flourish on their own in the private industry.

“This was such a huge success,” Shalev said. “Many foreign investors came to tap into Israel’s innovation. The smartest part was that the government quickly pulled back and let private industry continue investing.”

Israel also supports innovation through a chief scientist, which serves as the intermediary between businesses, universities and the government and manages an annual fund of $300 million specifically to support R&D research and industry. Money is allocated through a competitive process for innovation or new technologies. No preference is given to specific industries.

As Israel did two decades ago, South Carolina struggles with garnering enough capital or angel investors on a consistent basis to fund entrepreneurial growth. A new collaboration that focuses on getting access for Israeli companies to S.C. markets and creating jobs for residents could help, Zucker said.

The South Carolina-Israel Collaboration began in January 2011. It’s a group of S.C. businesspeople from a variety of sectors, including the leaders of the state’s three research universities, major state hospitals, private and public sector, elected officials and R&D companies.

By creating relationships, S.C. and Israel businesspeople want to unite investors, partners and customers from both places and offer incentives to establish operations in both locations, Glaser said.

The collaboration proposed creating a South Carolina-Israel R&D fund to support possibly three joint venture projects between companies or universities in both places, Glaser said. Companies with R&D or universities’ programs with similar goals would collaborate to receive the funding.

Zucker said getting the S.C. General Assembly on board to support a venture capitalist community in the state is vital for this effort to work. This support could come in the form of a funding plan or creating incentives in place to bring businesses here, past the usual skilled workforce or available land mantra.

Panelists said there needs to be seed money, knowledge and innovation for an Israeli company to set-up shop in South Carolina, therefore bringing jobs and investment with it.

“This would help us walk the walk. We say we have the knowledge-based economy, but we don’t have the critical mass that Silicon Valley or Boston has,” Zucker said, chairman of the collaboration’s steering committee. “We have to create it to put incentives in place for people to bring business here.”

Israel’s ability to commercialize on research; its compulsory military service that renders intelligence and technology; a major influence from immigrants; and a business-supportive government that created a country-wide system of 26 technology incubators in the 90s make Israel a desirable business partner. These incubators now generate an average of six to 12 start-ups each year.

Israel has a population of 7.7 million and is about a fourth of the size of South Carolina. It’s renowned for its technology in a variety of industries, such as medical and life sciences, electronics and computers. South Carolina is known for its strong manufacturing base, especially in the aerospace and aviation industries.

Twenty-seven travelers promoted South Carolina as the gateway to the U.S. for Israeli businesses during a trip to Israel in November. The trip directly produced 50 active projects in biomedical, aerospace, health care, transportation and research projects, among other sectors. One Israeli company is considering S.C. for its new headquarters. S.C. currently has seven Israeli companies.

In 2010, exports from South Carolina to Israel totaled more than $68 million, and imports from Israel were at $44 million.

http://israel21c.org/social-action/south-carolina-woos-israeli-innovation

BMW said Thursday it plans to hire 300 people in 2012 and up to 700 more by 2014 as it adds production of a new X4 sports activity vehicle at its Spartanburg County plant. It also plans to invest $900 million to prepare the facility for production of the new model over the next two years.

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By Matt Tomsic, Charleston Regional Business Journal
Dec. 6, 2011

Countries and businesses need to focus on innovation to increase production and should collaborate with each other to capitalize on individual strengths, a best-selling business author said Monday.

Singer

Saul Singer, co-author of Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, spoke at the SmartState conference Monday. He delivered the inaugural conference’s keynote address that evening.

Before his address, Singer met with local business leaders and media. His book examines how Israel became a top foreign player on NASDAQ with its population of 7.1 million people, a relatively young age of 60 years and limited resources.

“The question is: Where does all of this creative energy come from?” Singer said.

Israel leveraged its strengths — innovation, a penchant for debate and a willingness to take risks — to open hundreds of startups each year. Singer said the country partners with American companies to benefit from their strengths — discipline, management and scalability. Some of the largest, most innovative companies in the U.S. have large operations in Israel and rely on Israeli research and development to grow, including Intel, IBM, Google and Hewlett-Packard.

Innovation drives increases to productivity, which drives economies and businesses, Singer said.

To accomplish innovation, Singer said individuals need drive, determination and a willingness to take risks. Without those extra traits, startups don’t happen.

“To me, the productive thing is to combine the best of both worlds,” he said.

Every country needs to work with its strengths and advantages and to focus on innovation, he said.

“This is what’s exciting about what you understand here in South Carolina,” Singer said.

Singer cited a trip organized by Jonathan Zucker, who led a South Carolina delegation to Tel Aviv in November. Zucker is the president of The InterTech Groupand is chairman of the South Carolina-Israel Collaboration, which launched in July.

Zucker said previously Singer’s book was a catalyst for the collaboration.

“This mission is our opportunity to put South Carolina on the Israel ‘map’ and build relationships and credibility for the state with our country’s most important ally in the Middle East and its only true democracy,” Zucker said before the trip. “At the same time, through our collaboration, we hope to bring home the benefits of the incredible innovation occurring in Israel.”

Singer said those partnerships can help both countries.

“It’s this idea of combining strengths,” Singer said. “You combine strengths, and it has a multiplication effect.”

Zvi Arad, Ph.D., founder and president of Netanya Academic College in Israel and founder of internationally known Gelbart Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, as well as The Emmy Noether Mathematics Institute, both at Bar-Ilan University, recently visited University of South Carolina Upstate campus to personally invite students to participate in the Maymester 2012 Study Abroad trip to Israel.

Coordinated with USC Upstate’s Center for International Studies, this study opportunity, entitled “The Politics and Culture of Israel,” is designed for students to experience historical, religious and political sites of Israel.

“We are glad to have a chance to offer USC Upstate students this opportunity,” said Dr. Arad. “We will organize lectures led by the best experts in the fields of Middle East and Israeli studies that will hopefully provide for you considerable insight into the region.”

Dr. Abraham Goldberg, USC Upstate assistant professor of political science and faculty advisor for this trip, is not only excited about the potential of this trip, but was impressed that the president of the host college in Israel was on campus to extend the invitation.

“How often do you have a world-class mathematician and president of the host college come to invite you personally to come to his country and college,” said Dr. Goldberg.

The Center for International Studies provides enhanced international experiences for USC Upstate students and faculty members as well as interaction between the University and the international community. Due to the reciprocal agreements with various universities around the world, USC Upstate is able to offer students the opportunity to study or conduct internships abroad. Throughout the year, numerous Study Abroad trips are planned to expose university students to world culture.

“These types of study trips are extremely important to education,” said Dr. Deryle Hope, associate director of the Center for International Studies and international studies coordinator. “They are as much of an opportunity for self-discovery as they are for discovering the world.

USC Upstate is currently in an exchange program with Netanya Academic College that brought three Israeli students to campus this fall. Guy Yosef, Sergei Sorin and Riham Mouslah have been getting well acquainted with the USC Upstate campus and American customs.

“Every day I meet new people and already I have learned a lot about many different cultures,” said Riham Mouslah, who was at first confused that her fellow students always smiled and said hello to her. “The classes at USC Upstate are challenging but the professors’ care about us a lot. I will never forget my time here.”