Top 15 Israel news articles in the UK for 2011

This past year saw the UK media focus on Israel as a technology and business leader. As we come to the end of 2011, here are our top 15 articles published in the national media:

In no particular order…

• The Telegraph
  Israel: The start up nation taking on Silicon Valley
  
  
• The Economist
  Israeli firms offer technology to slake the world’s thirst
  
  
• The Times
  Oil giant hedges its bets as Better Place orders 100,000 electric cars
  
  
• BBC News
  How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub
  
  
• Channel 4
  Israel: the new Silicon Valley
  
  
• TechCrunch
  Interview with Saul Singer, co-author, Startup Nation
  
  
• The Financial Times
  Israel’s army of tech start-ups
  
  
• BBC News
  Israeli start-up Takadu helps Londoners save water
  
  
• Cleantech Investor
  Israel - the "Silicon Valley of water"?
  
  
• The Irish Times
  Israel carves out surprising role as haven for enterprise
  
  
• BBC World News - Horizons
  The future of water technology
  
  
• The Wall Street Journal
  'Start-Up Nation' Author Saul Singer Talks Tech
  
  
• Businesslife.co
  Jersey forges links with Israel's technology and telecommunications industry leaders
  
  
• BBC News
  Touchless smartphones and TVs could be on sale in 2012
  
  
• edie News
  British Water signs 'landmark' water agreement with Israel
  

We look forward to reading and generating more new stories in 2012.

-The Commercial Office

British Water and Israeli R&D Centre MATIMOP Sign Landmark Water Agreement

Organised by the Trade & Economic Office at the Embassy of Israel, London, representatives from British Water and MATIMOP, the Israeli agency for industrial R&D, on Monday signed an agreement which will enable the water industries of each country to collaborate more closely on tenders and research projects, hopefully leading to projects which boost each country’s economies.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed by British Water, which represents the UK water industry supply chain, and MATIMOP, the Israeli Industry Centre for R&D, sets up a framework for both organisations to work together on a range of areas of common interest. It will also facilitate greater joint projects to develop new product applications and processes to be commercialised in the global market.

Israel Shamay, Executive Director of MATIMOP, said: “We are pleased to be working closer with British Water than we have worked with any foreign trade organisation before. The UK water sector is well respected internationally for its world-leading capabilities, solutions and services, making it the perfect partner to help commercialise and market Israeli innovation and R&D in this sector.”

Ian Bernard, Technical Manager for British Water, said: “The agreement with MATIMOP ensures both parties have access to some of the best technological solutions to implement in both the UK and Israel, and will also enable world leading experts in both countries to cooperate for European and international research, development and technical projects.”

Israel has been coping with water scarcity since its founding, leading to the development of novel and efficient water technologies. Many of these technologies are now coming to the fore internationally, as concerns about water scarcity increase throughout the world.

Areas of common interest include: water management technology, which increasingly uses ICT to aid water monitoring and fault identification; desalination, water reuse and the use of renewable energy sources in water purification, reclamation and desalination.

In the UK, the government recently published its white paper, “Water for Life” which sets out plans to reform the UK water industry to meet increasing environmental and water stress demands, amid warnings that some regions of Britain are already facing water scarcity and environmental damage.

According to industry experts the global water industry is expected to grow rapidly during the next five years, with capital expenditure on water infrastructure increasing from US$90 billion in 2010 to $131 billion in 2016. Water scarcity will be among the main problems faced by the world during the 21st century. According to the United Nations, by 2030 almost half of the world’s population will be living in areas of “high water stress”, where water supply is inadequate to meet all of society’s needs.

Oded Distel, Head of Investment Promotion Centre, Ministry of Industry Trade and Labour, Israel said: “This agreement is in line with the overall concept of smarter solutions for the water sector. We want to support the upgrade of water management technology in the UK. We have successfully achieved this in Israel by bringing in technology from other sectors.”

Press Coverage:

• Edie News:
  British Water signs 'landmark' water agreement with Israel
  
• The Engineer:
  British Water and Israeli R&D agency MATIMOP sign MoU
  

UK Delegation to WATEC Israel

Last month, the Trade & Economic Office at the Embassy of Israel in partnership with UK Israel Business assembled a delegation of leading water companies, investors and other notables to travel to the WATEC Israel Exhibition and Conference.

Internationally recognised as highly developed, the Israeli water market has benefited from numerous years of experience in managing scarce water resources, while the national industry is widely regarded as a nexus of world-class expertise in the water field.

Consequently, WATEC Israel has taken centre stage as one of the world’s leading water events, offering a unique platform to see the latest technologies from the water industry in Israel and around world. This year WATEC Israel was attended by representatives from over 100 countries.

Over the course of the three day visit, the delegation was exposed to a range of new, innovative and exciting technologies. In addition to attending the WATEC Exhibition and Conference, the delegation was taken to key sights within the Israeli water sector.

Following recent announcements by the UK Environment Agency demanding that water utility companies reduce their leakage levels, the visit to Raanana Water Utility was of particular interest. Here, CEO Nir Bar Lev and his team demonstrated how they are able to ensure that their leakage levels at Raanana are only 6.45% in comparison to a western world average of 30%.

At Hadera Desalination Plant, the largest Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant in the world, the delegates were given a tour and demonstration of how the water is treated, in addition to being given the opportunity to taste the treated water merely 1 hour and 30 minutes after it had still been in Mediterranean Sea.

In addition, to visiting Hadera and Raanana, the delegation received presentations from two key experts within the Israel water sector, Matan Friedman, a Venture Associate at Israel Cleantech Ventures who provided an interesting insight into the VC model within Israel and the sector in general and Boaz Albaranes of Israel NewTech, who gave a further overview of the sector and provided an interesting insight into the role of Israel NewTech.

Further to these two briefings, the delegation heard from the British Ambassador to Israel, H.E. Matthew Gould, at an evening reception kindly hosted by Bank Leumi. At the reception, the British Ambassador discussed how the relationship between Israel and the UK continues to flourish with room for cooperation within sectors such as water is limitless.

One reason that Israel has been able to build up such a presence within the global sector is undoubtedly down to its unique incubator models which were exposed to the delegation by Asaf Barnea, CEO of Kinrot Ventures, who explained how their incubator model is a key catalyst in developing water technologies. Asaf introduced to the delegation a number of the companies within his incubator, some of whom are already making waves within the UK water market.

The visit was rounded off with a visit to Netafim, the pioneers of modern day drip irrigation, and a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, before delegates returned home the following day.

The Trade & Economic Office and UK Israel Business have already received very positive feedback from the delegation regarding the visit and over three short days those who participated were exposed to the highlights of a burgeoning sector that continues to become increasingly significant around the globe.

The Israel Pavilion at Medica 2011

Medica is the world's largest medical trade fair hosting professionals from a wide range of the medical and healthcare fields. Taking place in Düsseldorf Germany from 16 - 19 November, the trade fair this year attracted approximately 134,500 visitors from over 100 nations.

With over 4,500 exhibitors presenting the entire cross-section of products, services and processes, the Israeli pavilion stood out as being a vibrant hub of innovation and originality.

Indeed, all halls of exhibition were well attended, as reported by the organizers of Medica; however, the Israel Pavilion (in part, due to its unique structure) seemed especially popular, drawing thousands of visitors and interested parties. Perhaps the best evidence for the striking interest in the Israeli pavilion can be found in the impressive figure of some 1,000 meetings held between Israeli companies and organizations from all over the globe.

For the 5th consecutive year the Trade & Economic Office at the Embassy of Israel, London took an active role in attracting leading UK companies and organizations in the national medical arena to meet with Israeli innovators at Medica. Our purpose was to familiarise the UK companies with the innovative products and services presented by the Israeli companies at Medica. This work culminated in approximately 100 meetings between Israeli companies and top UK companies and organization such as the NHS, Boots, Smith & Nephew, Stryker etc.

At the Trade & Economic Office we feel Medica was a great success this year. Our impression is supported by the very positive feedback we had received from visitors during the show, who especially mentioned the amazing atmosphere and the exceptionally constant ‘buzz’ at the Israel Pavilion. We take pride in the success of the Israeli pavilion and we aim at following-up any possible outcomes of it, hopefully in the form of establishing productive partnerships between UK and Israeli companies.

Report: Telecommunications Roundtable, November 2011

The telecommunications industry stands at the precipice of a key phase. With unprecedented challenges and opportunities likely to emerge in the near future, the Trade & Economic Office at the Embassy of Israel, together with UK Israel Business, has held its inaugural telecommunications roundtable last Thursday 10 November 2011. The occasion was first event organised collaboratively by the Trade & Economic Office and UK Israel Business. Chaired by telecommunications expert, Mike Grabiner, and hosted by CMS Cameron McKenna, the event brought together influential figures from all spheres of the telecommunications sector, including senior individuals from BT plc, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, Telefónica O₂ and Jersey Telecom.

Few things are as ubiquitous and pervasive to societies across the globe as telecommunications. Developing nations in particular have seen an exponential surge in the use of ‘new’ information and communications technology. In 1991, total access to both fixed and mobile telephones in the developing world stood at 2%. By 2004, the figure had burgeoned to 31%. In 2010, the International Telecommunication Union estimated that 57% of people in the developing world were subscribed to a mobile network. Africa, long dismissed by critics as technologically ‘stunted’, now boasts the fastest growing mobile market globally, with a 65% penetration rate.

Similarly, the use of the internet in the developing world continues to flourish. In 1994, a paltry 0.03% of the developing world utilized the web, but today 1.5 billion people from these regions are internet users. This represents a substantial 2,527.4% growth rate in Africa and a 1,987.0% growth rate in the Middle East over the past decade.

Whilst these staggering statistics routinely dominate the headlines, it would be imprudent to overlook the considerable growth still taking place in the developed world. Take for instance Vodafone’s European mobile data traffic, which increased by 115% between the first quarter and second quarter of 2009 alone. Across the Atlantic, AT&T registered a 30-fold growth in traffic between the third quarter of 2009 and the corresponding quarter of 2010. Elsewhere, approximate trends have taken place in Japan and China.

With this in mind, and after a sumptuous light breakfast, the telecommunications roundtable began in earnest. A key theme was quickly established, the issue of bandwidth. Across the world, there is an immense demand for more bandwidth. To buttress this assertion, attention was drawn to a recent Cisco forecast which estimates that global mobile data traffic will increase 26 fold between 2010 and 2015. Much of this is attributed to the growing use of smartphones which generate 10-20 times more traffic than non-smart phones. Attendees were then informed that during the same period, the total capacity of the world’s wireless networks will increase by about 10 times. The pivotal question thus arose as to how the UK would address these impending challenges, and the resultant demands on bandwidth.

As smartphones began to become a commonplace fixture on the market, operators made the crucial mistake of bundling free data into their pricing plans. As such, their pricing models were based on voice and text and simply did not account for the data. The current model for processing bandwidth and data traffic has therefore become an unsustainable burden, shouldered by the operators. They have in turn incurred extra costs as they have been forced to outsource additional supplies from fixed line operators such as BT. Consequently, it was thus concurred by all present that greater regulatory intervention is both indubitable and necessary.

Urgent changes need to be implemented by operators to provide a more equitable model with clear definitions on how bandwidth is paid for and managed. Indeed, few will disagree that the costs ultimately need to be passed back to the user. To this end, attendees at Thursday’s roundtable touted the idea of specialist ‘packages’ for gaming and video streaming as a potential solution. Others suggested that operators have to be more mindful of using unsustainable practices, such as subsidized mobile handsets. In this way, it is essential that operators make definite strides towards cutting back on their out-dated cost base. In our opinion, it is unlikely that any company will stand alone in carrying out sweeping changes. In such a competitive market, the cost of losing their customer base is simply too great. It is therefore imperative that regulators step in and oversee the process. Crucially though, the present regulation philosophy is sorely in need of reform. The challenge in this regard will be for regulators to balance neutrality with encouraging further investment to keep the industry buoyant. Perhaps most importantly, the solutions derived from this process should be organic and not technocratic, as attendees agreed that commercial solutions had not proved viable in the past.

Though the challenges are well-defined and critical, there is significant scope for real opportunities for trade between Israel and Europe in the telecommunications industry. In such a fast-paced industry, and on the back of the success of Thursday’s event, is hoped that similar roundtables will be held several times periodically throughout year.

This in turn will provide an ideal platform for more innovative Israeli companies to introduce themselves to the British and European markets. Indeed, as a leading innovator of telecommunications both ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’, Israeli companies are well placed to adapt to the impending changes facing the sector.

Our thanks go to the team at UK Israel Business for their partnership in this event and we look forward to working with them again on future projects

Britain and Israel announce new UK-Israel fellowship exchange in regenerative medicine

Britain and Israel will establish a new, joint fellowship exchange scheme to enhance collaboration between the countries in the area of regenerative medicine.

The announcement was made last week at a meeting between Britain’s Minister of Universities and Science David Willetts and Israel’s Minister for Science and Technology Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz.

Britain’s Medical Research Council and the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology will provide matching funding of up to £50,000 each for the new fellowship exchange scheme, which will come under the umbrella of BIRAX – the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership in Regenerative Medicine.

Minister David Willetts commented “Israel and Britain are both world leaders in regenerative medicine. Both our governments are keen to support closer cooperation. This new fellowship scheme demonstrates our commitment to doing so. It will help build a lasting bond between British and Israeli researchers. We want to see it lead to collaboration in research between our scientists.”

Minister for Science and Technology Prof. Daniel Herkowitz said today, "Regenerative medicine is one of the most important fields of research in which mankind is still feeling its way. The goal of the joint fellowshiop programme is to encourage talented researchers to concentrate on this field in order to find a breakthrough in treating severe diseases. The program is another important milestone in the relations between the UK and Israel in the field of science, and we are grateful for Ambassador Matthew Gould’s work in promoting this matter.”

The announcement comes just a few weeks before the first major UK-Israel Regenerative Medicine conference, which will be held at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The conference will bring together leading researchers from both countries from various fields of regenerative medicine, including cell therapy, stem cell biology, gene therapy and more to learn about each other’s work and develop collaborations.

Dr Mark Palmer, head of international strategy at the British Medical Research Council, said: “Building and maintaining a cadre of highly-skilled researchers is essential for driving innovative research worldwide. Israel and the UK are trailblazers for regenerative medicine and, through our collaboration, we will be re-enforcing the MRC’s commitment to improving treatments for patients and identifying areas where new technologies demand new skills and learning. As regenerative medicine becomes an increasingly prevalent aspect of modern medicine, there has never been a more exciting time to work in this field.”

from: ukinisrael.fco.gov.uk

UK Minister for Universities and Science leads high-level digital delegation to Israel

Last week, the Minister for Universities and Science, the Rt Hon David Willetts MP, travelled to Israel for a three-day visit focused on bolstering high tech links between the UK and Israel.

The Minister led a delegation of over a dozen leading British companies and investors from the field of digital technology. This delegation was constructed together with the Trade & Economic Office at the Embassy of Israel, London.

This delegation came on the heels of the official launch of the British Embassy’s new dedicated High Tech Hub. Among the participants are leading venture capitalists, as well as, Telefonica O2, Albion, Stylus Media Group, and Eric Van Der Kleij CEO of London’s TechCity, the capital’s growing high-tech centre, already home to 300 companies.

Minister Willetts will be the British co-chair of the new UK-Israel High-Tech Council, which the two Prime Ministers have agreed to establish. The Council will bring together the key figures in tech on both sides, as well as some of the most impressive start-ups and investors.

During his visit to Israel, Minister Willetts met with senior members of Israel’s digital community and a range of digital start-ups, to gain an insight into Israel’s digital economy, and to identify ways in which the UK and Israel can be partners in this key area.

Speaking ahead of the visit, the Minister said: “I am delighted to be visiting Israel with such a high-profile delegation, one that really represents the innovation and diversity of Britain’s digital sector. This is a significant time for the UK-Israel high tech relationship, and our goal will be to demonstrate to Israeli companies that Britain can help Israeli innovation go global. .”

As part of the visit, the Minister and members of the delegation visited the Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. While in Haifa, they led a seminar on UK high tech, hosted by Google at its offices in the MATAM industrial park. The seminar focused on the opportunities available to companies setting up in TechCity – the digital tech cluster growing up around the Olympic Park in East London.

In addition to a number of speaking events, including at the Go4Europe conference in Tel Aviv, Minister Willetts met with a series of Israeli officials, including Minister for Trade, Industry and Labour, Shalom Simhon and Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz.

The British and Israeli Governments are aligning in the areas of technology and innovation and there is a positive atmosphere in trade relations which bodes well for the future.

Information taken from: ukinisrael.fco.gov.uk

Citigroup to open R&D Centre in Israel

The ongoing efforts by the Israeli Government to encourage a technology hub for global financial services companies continues to pay dividends, with the recent announcement by Citigroup to expand their technology Research & Development to Israel.

Citigroup are now the second major bank to expand operations in Israel, after Barclays made the decision earlier in the year. While major brands such as Microsoft, Intel and Motorola have long established R&D facilities in high-tech and mobile communications, R&D within the financial services sector has yet to realise its full potential.

Acknowledging this situation, the Israeli Government established a scheme in 2010 to expose the opportunities to financial services companies. Under special circumstances, the government offers to meet some of the operational costs for R&D centres. Citigroup has recognised this opportunity and through the scheme been granted $25 million over five years to help finance the centre.

In a joint statement with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor and the Ministry of Finance, Don Callahan, Citigroups's Chief Operations and Technology Officer explained how Citigroup “will add Israel to its portfolio of a centre of strategic innovation that will focus on the development of advanced products and applications for the capital market”.

While the financial and business benefits of having a major financial group arrive in Israel are obvious, the Israeli government is confident that the arrival of more financial R&D facilities will lead to a cluster that will emulate the renowned success of its high-tech incubators and thus offer an extra value to those choosing to establish facilities there.

Israel’s dramatic growth and development of information technology has been a major catalyst for the outstanding economic performance in recent years. In the banking sphere, Israel has developed specialist technology and programs in areas such as risk management solutions, brokerage compliance, fraud prevention and end-to-end software solutions.

With the technological advances coming out of Israel, coupled with the government incentives, it is believed that that Barclays and Citigroup are paving the way for future international relationships.

The Israel Pavilion at IBC 2011 - The Results

IBC is the leading global tradeshow for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of broadcasting media and entertainment. Taking place over five days in Amsterdam, it was a record breaking year with over 50,000 in attendance.

For the third consecutive year, the Trade & Economic Office at the Embassy of Israel, London, partnered with the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute to create the Israel Pavilion to showcase the advances coming out of Israel in the new media sphere.

With approximately thirty companies presenting their solutions in their respective sectors, the Israel Pavilion at IBC served as a hub of innovation. In preparation for the event, the Commercial Office met with leaders in the UK media industry to understand the direction and focus of the UK market and tailored introductions between UK and Israeli representatives at the Israel Pavilion.

Senior individuals from all of the major players in the UK ensured they spent significant time at the Israel Pavilion at IBC. With over 1,300 companies exhibiting at IBC, visitors always feel the pressure when scouting technologies, but the Israel Pavilion became an oasis of expertise. With approximately 170 meetings taking place between Israel and UK companies, it was a record year for success at the Israel Pavilion.

The Israel Pavilion hosted representatives from the BBC, BSkyB, ITV, Channel 4, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, BT, Disney, Fox, STV, Samsung, Apple, Sony, Facebook, RIM, Bauer Media, to name but a few.

Feedback during the show was incredibly positive with quotes such as “the best hour I have spent at IBC” and “the most coordinated and productive meetings I have had this week”.

Our most successful year, we are already aware of many follow-up discussions taking place and significant interest from both the UK and Israel. We expect the results of this endeavour will be shown in the coming months with the forming of effective partnerships.

Three of our portfolio companies under the Israel Pavilion, LiveU, justAd.TV, and Tvinci, won prestigious awards in the field of media and broadcasting. The Israeli companies competed against hundreds of candidates from around 30 countries in Europe, Asia, and America.

LiveU won the prestigious award of the TVBEurope magazine for leading technology. The monthly magazine, which appears in a printed and digital American and European form, is one of the foremost magazines in the field.

The LU40i device, revealed for the first time at the exhibition, brought LiveU the prestigious award. This is a solution for video transmissions from anywhere in the world in real time, by using cellular and WIFI connections. The company’s product weighs just 700 gram and is simple to operate. The product transmits online broadcasts to the internet, and is intended for universities, video transmission of small events, radio stations, sport transmissions etc.

Ronen Artman, marketing vice president at LiveU said, “LiveU is proud to have won this important prize which places the company at the forefront of technology for quality video transmission for the television and online media markets.”

justAd.TV won first prize in the contest held by the Connected World forum in the category of Revenue Generation innovative technology. The category focuses on innovation and concept which help content producers and service providers generate revenue online. The panel of judges comprised 11 international experts from the world of TV and content.

After receiving the award, Yariv Erel commented, “the prestigious award shows international recognition of justAd.TV’s technological innovation and will help us in realizing our dream of leading the industry of interactive TV and postponed broadcasts advertising.”

justAd.TV specializes in up-to-the-minute and interactive advertising solutions, on a very large variety of platforms, and allows ways of presenting effective advertising on internet TV, connected TV, and mobile. The technology allows content owners to offer content free of charge and commercialise them by presenting state-of-the-art advertising models.

Tvinci received one of the most coveted awards in the industry, from the highly regarded CSI magazine, and was declared the Best Web TV technology of 2011. The award was based on the evaluations of a panel of expert judges. The company provides a Pay TV platform based on the web (Pay Over The Top TV).

Ofer Shayo, company founder and CEO: “This award represents further international recognition of Tvinci technology’s quality and innovation. A significant number of world viewers watch video using tablets, smart phones, video game consoles, and smart TV, and there are very few services worldwide which really connect between the various devices. We provide an answer to the ever-increasing requirement to provide pay TV which connects all the screens.”

Tvinci provides accessibility for television programs and movies in an individual manner for each viewer, on a variety of devices, beginning with the familiar TV converter, through smart phones, and ending with tablets, PCs and others.

Year on year, our efforts have proven to be productive and with innovation continuing to flourish, everyone is looking to discover exactly why people are calling Israel the new Silicon Valley.

Medica 2011, Germany

The largest medical trade event in Europe is returning to Dusseldorf this winter. Last year Medica attracted 137,000 visitors and an incredible 4,300 exhibitors, of which Israel made a very impressive contribution.

Israel is one of the world’s leading providers of medical device and healthcare solutions. Having won Nobel Prizes for medicine, Israeli doctors consistently make ground breaking developments in treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, various forms of cancer and orthopedics to name a handful. The global demand for medical devices is growing rapidly and incorporating the latest in high-tech innovation, the Israeli Pavilion is certain to provide inspiration and solutions for any potential visitor.

To coordinate meetings at the Israeli Pavilion, please contact Sivan Dror in the Commercial Office.
Tel : +44 (0)20 7957 9645
E-mail: sivan.dror@israeltrade.gov.il

Watec 2011, Israel

The Commercial Office, in conjunction with UK Israel Business and the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, are assembling a delegation from the UK to travel to one of the world's largest water exhibitions this November. WATEC taking place in Tel Aviv provides the ideal opportunity for water companies to showcase their latest technology and innovations, in areas such as water efficiency, water quality, desalination treatments and water supply.

The Israeli water market continues to make waves internationally, benefiting from several years of experience in managing scarce water resources. The Israeli market is widely regarded as a nexus of world-class expertise in the water field - a fact highlighted by the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Israeli Government and the Council of Mumbai, (the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation).

Moreover, in July of this year, a delegation of water innovation companies came from Israel to the UK to meet senior players within the British Water Industry. The Commercial Office is keen to build on these foundations and is looking forward to leading a strong and diverse delegation to WATEC this November.

If you would like to participate in this year’s outgoing UK delegation, please contact Simon Spier in the Commercial Office.
Tel : +44 (0)20 7957 9676
E-mail: simon.spier@israeltrade.gov.il

Milipol 2011, France

The Commercial Office is very excited to be coordinating introductions between UK and Israeli companies at Milipol in Paris.
Israel’s commitment to homeland security has been paramount since the birth of the nation. Combining globally recognised high-tech innovation and a wealth of experience, the thirty two companies that comprise the Israeli Pavilion has expertise that covers the full spectrum of the security sector.

The focus of this year’s Pavilion is counter-terror and law enforcement. Given the complexity and multitude of challenges the UK has faced of late, the Commercial team is positive Israeli companies have an abundance to offer.

If you would like to pre-arrange meetings with any of the Israeli companies attending, please contact Peter Wynch in the Commercial Office.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7957 9674
E-mail: peter.wynch@israeltrade.gov.il

Anuga 2011, Germany

Taking place in Cologne, Germany, Anuga is ‘the world’s leading food fair for the retail trade and the food service and catering market’. The sheer size of this event is vast, with the conference divided into 10 individual trade shows with the Organic section having 270 Exhibitors in itself.
At an event of this nature, global competition is naturally huge with goods and dishes overlapping from nation to nation.

The Israeli Pavilion at Anuga will once again highlight the colourful mixture of influences from all over the world that come together in an innovative, high-quality food culture that is more than just different: it is unique. And it is healthy: many exhibitors provide specialities that are gluten-free, lactose-free, as well as free from preservatives and colourants.

To schedule a tour of the Israeli Pavilion please contact Simon Spier in the Commercial Office.
Tel : +44 (0)20 7957 9676
E-mail: simon.spier@israeltrade.gov.il

The Israel Pavilion at IBC 2011

IBC is the leading global tradeshow for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of broadcasting media and entertainment. Taking place at the Amsterdam RAI from 8 to 13 September and attracting over 48,000 attendees from more than 140 countries, IBC combines a highly respected and peer-reviewed conference with an exhibition that exhibits more than 1,300 leading suppliers of state of the art electronic media technology and provides unrivalled networking opportunities.

Israel's New Media industry has grown rapidly in the last few years with over 1000 companies in this field; more than 500 of which are classified as startups.

Active in Internet applications and services, online advertising and entertainment, they are also dynamic players in broadcast, digital & cable TV, IPTV and satellite services amongst other sectors.

Israel is known as the 'Start-up Nation' and the new media companies offer the most innovative and cutting edge technologies to an ever changing media world. This was witnessed by Emma Barnett, Digital Media Editor of the Telegraph on her recent visit to Israel. Her article can be found online here: “Israel: The start up nation taking on Silicon Valley“.

As in previous years, the Trade & Economic Office at the Embassy of Israel, London is working together with the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute to showcase these technologies at IBC in Amsterdam which will be taking place in September.

The Israel Pavilion at IBC serves as a hub of innovation and an oasis of expertise with approximately 30 companies presenting their solutions in their respective sectors. For the third consecutive year, Daniel Saunders from the Trade & Economic Office will be conducting tours of the Israel Pavilion and coordinating introductions between UK and Israeli companies at IBC. The tours allow guests to experience a variety of technologies in a short period of time. The past few years have been very successful in showcasing opportunities and forging partnerships.

Information on Israel’s New Media industry together with full details on the companies at the Israel Pavilion can be found on our website: www.israelmediainnovations.com.

To organise your tour of the Israel Pavilion and meet with relevant companies or to further understand Israel’s competitive edge, please contact Daniel Saunders at the Commercial Office on +44 20 7957 9504 • dan@israeltrade.gov.il.

Israel: The Start-up Nation taking on Silicon Valley

The Daily Telegraph is the UK’s highest selling broadsheet newspaper. Emma Barnett, the Telegraph's Digital Media Editor, was recently awarded the Digital Editorial Individual of 2011 at the AOP Digital Publishing Awards.

She is regarded as the leading digital media journalist in the UK with a large Twitter following. In addition to her position at the Telegraph, she is also a broadcaster the BBC, Sky News, CNN and LBC.

Israel's New Media industry, although relatively in its youth has grown rapidly in the last few years.

There are more than 700 new media companies in Israel, whose offerings span the range of new media possibilities. They are active in Internet applications and services, online advertising, entertainment and video and more.

They are also dynamic players in broadcast, digital & cable TV, IPTV and satellite services, strong in content creation, delivery and management, and have a potent presence in gaming.

The sector has developed rapidly over the last few years. While some companies, such as Adsmarket, Answers.com, BigBand, ICQ, Incredimail, NDS, Orca, Optibase, Pilat Media, Sintec Media, SpeedBit and Waves are large, most are smaller, with more than 400 classified as start-ups.

Israel is known 'Start Up Nation' - Israeli Start-up companies in the new-media field offer the most innovative and cutting edge technologies to an ever changing media world.

As in previous years, the Commercial Office at the Embassy of Israel, London has been working together with the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute to showcase these technologies at IBC in Amsterdam which will be taking place in September.

In preparation for this, and to further the exposure of the Israeli companies, Daniel Saunders from the Commercial Office and Lee Aviram from the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute invited and arranged for Emma Barnett to come to Israel for her to understand the growing New Media Sector and experience some of the advanced, innovative technologies coming out of Israel, and to meet with the industry leaders.

Emma's visit to Israel was a remarkable success with impressive feedback from Emma herself and also those with whom she meet. Her impressions of the trip and those that she met were shared daily through her Twitter updates (@EmmaBarnett).

Yesterday, Emma wrote her first article about her trip to Israel in the Telegraph where she highlighted how Israel's technology and spirit is competing with Silicon Valley for the innovation crown. The article "Israel: The start up nation taking on Silicon Valley" can be found online here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8652076/Israel-The-start-up-nation-taking-on-Silicon-Valley.html