Many people know that Israel is a major hub for technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship worldwide. This small country has shown itself to be a giant in terms of solving global problems. Today, it is a strong contributor to the development of software, communication solutions and more.

Besides companies like Waze, WeWork, and Wix, which were created there, the Israeli entrepreneurial ecosystem is rich with deep techs, i.e., startups that develop cutting edge technology seeking revolutionary solutions. Examples of this include Orasis Pharmaceuticals, which developed eye drops that can correct one’s vision for 8 hours, doing away with the need to wear glasses or contact lenses; and Utilis, which identifies leaks in potable water transmission systems up to residential areas – in Brazil, these leaks are responsible for the loss of around 37% of the treated water production.

Israel has managed to double its population within thirty (30) years, to increase its GDP in four hundred per cent (400%), its foreign currency reserves in three per cent (3%), and, at the same time, to reduce its public debt in seventy-six per cent (76%). The country is at the twenty-first (21st) position in the global competitiveness ranking, ahead of economies such as Japan, France, and South Korea.

With all this success, many often wonder how Israel became a high-tech reference worldwide. The answer to that might lie in the combination of three factors: education, armed forces, and culture.

Education is a high priority for the country. It is the country with the highest percentage of the GDP destined to research and development worldwide, in addition to boasting the highest number of researchers per worker: 17 out of 1000. This incentive directly affects the economy, considering that the tech industry is the most representative in the country, driven by patents and constant new discoveries.

On the other hand, military enlistment, which is mandatory for both men and women, is quite different from what we have come to believe here in Brazil. Most of the Israeli military efforts focus on intelligence, espionage, and drones – in other words, technology. With an excellent source of government funding for an increasingly qualified military contingent, it is where innovations are born for the entire planet.

By having a military service that encompasses the whole of society and produces revolutionary results for the world, this consequently generates a transformation of the country’s culture. The spirit of teamwork, the need for self-discipline, and the search for social advancements have been present in Israeli popular culture from the start. Since this has been strengthened over multiple generations, the country’s ideology has become superior in human terms.

This combination of the army as an innovation hub, incentives for research and science, and a results-driven culture, generates creative energy. In turn, that is the fuel that throttles the generation of new businesses in Israel, enabling the solidifying of structures for an entire country within mere 72 years.

None of that would be possible with a self-centered view in the face of a highly globalized and competitive world. Israel grew not only to support and develop itself, but rather to become a technology hub for the rest of the world. As such, in addition to being a major reference in technology, it also manages to be a major reference regarding social and cultural values.