The Israeli innovation system: An overview of national policy and cultural aspects
The goal of this overview, which was prepared by the Samuel Neaman Institute, is to examine the national policies and cultural aspects that support and lead Israeli innovation. Material for this document were gathered from various reports, documents, and articles written on the subject, so as to present a comprehensive and general picture of the […]
Bioethanol in Israel: global context, research, planning and policy
The report examines the global trends in the bioethanol market and evaluates the potential advantages and the anticipated shortcomings of Israel adopting a national bioethanol strategy and the planning it would require. An overarching objective of this assessment is to evaluate whether bioethanol could be used as a relatively significant substitution for fossil fuel, as […]
Energy Forum 11: Energy balanced building
Green building in general and energy efficiency in buildings in particular are a main issue all over the world, as well as in Israel. The recognition of the importance of energy conservation and the other qualities embedded in green buildings are indisputable. In Israel, the level of standardization is still poor, therefore, it is not […]
Energy Forum 10: Health and environmental effect of natural gas use in Israel
This meeting is a part of a wider program by RAND, looking into the effects of natural gas use in Israel. The national energy plan that was prepared for the ministry of infrastructures in 2004, predicts that natural gas will reach 70% of total fuels used for energy production in Israel by 2025. The forum […]
Student Loans for Israel: Learning from International Practice
The proposals of the Shochat Committee on higher education that related to first degree tuition fees and student loans, if implemented, will have far-reaching effects on the higher education system in Israel. Yet, conspicuously lacking in the report is any discussion of the merits of these loans scheme arrangements, in relation to possible alternatives. A […]
An Evaluation of Strategic Arms Limitation Agreements Model, with an Application to the Israeli-Syrian Conflict
This study evaluates the order of magnitude of the monetary cost of achieving an international strategic terror weapons (TWP) limitation agreement in an asymmetric arms race, with an application to the Israeli-Syrian conflict. It extends the Kagan, Tishler and Weiss (2005) framework and develops a model of resource allocation between consumption and security goods in […]
Israel 2028 – Vision and Strategy for Economy and Society in a Global World
This project was initiated and supported by the US Israel Commission of Science and Technology (USISTC). It was managed by a public committee, and carried out over 2 years by some 60 researchers and a significant portion of it was done at the Samuel Neaman Institute. The report was submitted to the Prime Minister who […]
Religious Terrorism: A Cross-Country Analysis
A growing theoretical literature explains why religious organizations are better suited to perpetrate suicide bombings in particular and terror attacks more generally than their non-religious rivals. We offer the first comprehensive test of the roles of religion and religious ideology in terrorism using a unique country level database on domestic terrorism. Our results show that […]
Energy Forum 9: The role of Israel in the global bioethanol market
The ninth meeting of the SNI Energy forum discussed the role of Israel in the global bioethanol market. Issues addressed were related to the Israeli market: technological and economical feasibility, production, use and knowledge development, Including the opportunities of knowledge export from Israel.
Together but Apart: ICT and Productivity Growth in Israel (STE-WP-41)
There is broad consensus regarding the significant role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the past decade, both in the renewal of labor productivity growth in the U.S. and in the development of this productivity gap between the U.S. and the European Union. Israel’s high-tech sector, which is mostly engaged in ICT production, grew […]