Innovation is key to making the world a better place and indispensable to guaranteeing a future of peace and prosperity, several Israeli hi-tech executives argued during “Joint Perspectives – A German-Israeli Summit,” which took place in Berlin on Wednesday.
The conference, organized by The Jerusalem Post and WELT, a member of the Axel Springer media group, included a panel on “Innovation & Economics,” featuring Yaron Ashkenazi, founder and Managing Partner of Awz Ventures; Dr. Dan Deviri, co-founder and CEO of CarbonBlue; Omer Keilaf, co-founder and CEO of Innoviz Technologies; and Heiko Thoms, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Finance.
“In a world where the population is growing and resources are scarce and limited, innovation is the only way to ensure that conflicts can be avoided in the long run,” Deviri said.
CarbonBlue was one of the companies selected to participate in the event by the Israel Export Institute, a non-profit organization established in 1958 as a joint venture between the government of Israel and the private sector to encourage and promote Israeli exports and international trade worldwide.
“To create innovation, it is necessary to collaborate not only with private stakeholders but also with countries and organizations such as the Economy Ministry and the Israel Export Institute,” Deviri said.
According to Avi Balashnikov, Chairman of the Board of the Israel Export Institute, searching for new markets for Israeli products and services is key to the economic success of the Israeli industry, especially in these troubled times. He also noted that Israel must do everything, especially on a global stage, to attract new investments for factories in the Negev and Galilee and to strengthen the periphery.
Ashkenazi revealed that in his experience, even after October 7, the interest in investing in Israel has not decreased.
“We see hundreds of investors that are more eager to invest now in Israel than before, in order to ensure that we continue to be a start-up nation,” he said. “For them, Israel is an island of stability in the Middle East.”
Ashkenazi emphasized that Awz Ventures – a Canadian-Israeli venture capital firm with nine deep-tech funds – also decided to take the support for the Jewish state one step forward.
“We are one of the few venture capitals that decided to immediately establish a philanthropic foundation, in strategic collaboration with The Jerusalem Post,” Ashkenazi said. “The foundation is advancing causes like ensuring mental health care for October 7 victims and financing initiatives to restore and grow southern Israel’s economy.”
The panelists also noted how Germany represents an important market for many Israeli companies.
Keilaf of Innoviz Technologies, another company that was selected to be part of the Israeli delegation to Berlin, highlighted the close ties of his venture with the German automotive industry.
“We work in collaboration with companies like BMW and Volkswagen throughout the year, constantly busy creating new opportunities,” he said. “We have found partners for business and, as a result, also friends.”
Receiving extended support from German partners in business
Keilaf noted that since October 7, Innoviz’s staff has experienced support and empathy from their German partners.
“I am here today to showcase the close relationship between our nations and an example of cooperation that contributes to both economies,” he said.
Thoms explained how supporting the Jewish state for Germany is essential.
“We stand in full solidarity with Israel and this is not negotiable for us,” he said. “I am very happy to report that German companies have expressed their unwavering support to Israel and have continued to do business with Israel,” the state secretary said.
“The one lesson that we want to learn is that we need to further strengthen our cooperation and continue to look into the future.”
This article was written in cooperation with the companies mentioned.