In the course of the last two years, I was invited to give a number of lectures in Israel and abroad on issues related to technological innovation and entrepreneurship to organizations that wanted to expand their businesses vis à vis the high-tech sector, and I am happy to share with you some impressions and benefits of this kind of business development.
A lecture or training session helps teams in law offices, accountancy offices, banks and consultation firms, to comprehend the world of advanced technology and the demands and challenges of their clients, and thereby create better harmony between the various providers and their customers.
Organizational consultation and financial consultation companies, as well as financing and investment bodies seek to better understand technological terminology, the significance of development processes and evaluation of the feasibility of existing and potential customers in the high-tech sector to provide better service as well as more precise directing of their business, financial and marketing activities.
The emphases provided in these lectures are usually in the fields of chemistry, nanotechnology, green industry, cleantech, alternative energy and environmental challenges in the areas of air, soil and water pollution, and the problems associated with industrial wastewater.
In addition to a review of activities in the field of advanced materials development, the training also referred to intellectual property rights, patents and know-how, and aspects of commercialization of technologies and patents.
In a lecture recently given to a delegation of industrialists from China – a federation of industries from the area of Shenzhen (Federation of Shenzen Industries), the Chinese company managers were interested in discovering how to motivate innovation processes in their companies and they learned about the possibilities of acquiring knowledge or obtaining rights to innovative technologies.
The Chinese managers received a lecture and review on the interesting directions in terms of marketing and business, which are steadily growing in the areas of advanced materials, sensors, three-dimensional printing and quality of the environment.
This group visited Israel as part of its efforts to encourage cooperation between Israeli companies and Chinese companies interested in investing in new technologies.
In a series of lectures given in Seoul, Korea, the emphasis was on understanding the requirements of Korean corporations and the ability to adapt Israeli technologies to them, or to create collaborations, whose purpose is development of technologies with Korean funding, which would be based on Israeli expertise in academic research and industry.
Among all the lectures and training sessions, a lecture took place at the Samsung Research Center near Seoul enabling close interaction with the development teams and a thorough understanding of the technological requirements of this company.
After the lecture I was invited to the Visitors and Innovation Center of the company, which most certainly provided a great deal of inspiration and understanding of the world of content for employees and executives within the high-tech industry.
In the framework of the lectures I gave, during courses at the Hebrew University, intended for innovation and entrepreneurship, it could be understood, at first hand, the great interest of the students in the transition from concept to product, as well as to become more familiar with the knowledge gaps in this important group, to prepare it for the challenges in this industry.
Innovation programs have become the focus of the business development of many industries and during the past year, I met with representatives of a Japanese corporation seeking to expand its innovative operations utilizing Israeli technologies and the Israeli perception of entrepreneurship.
In addition, I was invited to visit the Israeli Development Center of a leading international corporation wishing to utilize Israeli capabilities to provide solutions to the challenges specified at the company’s headquarters abroad.
Tutorials, lectures and dedicated workshops can greatly enhance the ability of all the business entities to respond and participate in the existing demand in this country and abroad for Israeli technological capabilities.