Israeli physicians, scientists, researchers and engineers have propelled Israel’s medical device industry to the leading edge of innovation and creativity, spanning all fields of medicine.
Quick facts:
Israel is considered to be the second largest supplier of Medical Device solutions worldwide.
Israel ranked 1st in Medical Device patents per capita (4th in absolute figures).
There are over 1,100 life science companies in Israel; 65% of them are Medical Device firms.
Several global medical corporations have found Israeli companies to be attractive business partners. Israeli companies have proven their excellence in R&D, and in implementing breakthrough technologies in the medical device industry. Some of the leading multinationals holding equity positions in Israel include GE Medical, Philips, Siemens, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic.
A strong entrepreneurial spirit pervades Israeli society. Perhaps fueled by a young country’s need to develop creative solutions quickly and cost-effectively, or inspired by improvisation and calculated risk-taking, it seems that innovation is an Israeli way of life.
Israel’s 16 Technology Transfer Organizations (TTOs) showcase the creative fusion between universities, hospital systems, businesses and the military. All of the TTOs are dedicated to encouraging and promoting research projects and military technology from the lab to the world market
Healthcare is a priority in a well-educated country. Israel spends 8% of its GDP on healthcare. It boasts a very high level of healthcare and an extensive infrastructure of quality resources that range from local community clinics to world-renowned trauma centers. The country has a high ratio of MDs to population (3.5 per 1,000). The country’s entrepreneurial spirit runs through this sector as well: Many Israeli physicians are both early adopters of new technologies and developers of original technologies in their own right.
Israel has a highly skilled workforce. The country has the greatest number of scientists and engineers per capita in the world; 24% of the workforce has academic degrees.
The defense community nurtures the life science industry. Extensive investment in developing state-of-the-art technologies for defense has proved fertile ground for advanced life science applications. Two very well-known innovations emerged from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems: PillCamTM, a video capsule endoscope (developed by Given Imaging), and cryotherapy for the treatment of cancer (developed by Galil Medical).
Strong institutional incentives support the development of new technologies. The 23 government-licensed technological incubators, which began in the 1990s as a way to provide employment opportunities for new immigrant scientists and engineers (many from the former Soviet Union), has evolved as a successful framework for advancing and commercializing early-stage life science technologies. In fact, in 2008, approximately 38% of the 1,175 incubator graduate companies continued beyond the incubator stage to function as mature companies. Nearly half of Israel’s technological incubators focus on the life sciences or biotechnology. At the end of 2008, 41% of all incubated companies were involved in medical devices, and 18% in biotechnology. Of the $360 Million in grant money awarded to incubator companies by Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist in 2008, 25.4% went to those involved in the life sciences.