This is the main proposal in the annual report of the National R&D Council at the Ministry of Science that was presented last night in the Knesset
The annual report of the National Research and Development Council at the Ministry of Science was presented yesterday, October 15, at the meeting of the Knesset's Science and Technology Committee. The report includes the recommendations of the council members in various fields including: scientific research, education, business R&D, medical R&D and more.
The Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz said in reference to the report: "Science and technology is Israel's number one export industry. There are not many competitors in the world for the innovation and originality of Israeli technology. When we come to determine the R&D policy in the State of Israel, we give great weight to the council's report and will work to implement its recommendations."
According to the chairman of the National Council for R&D in the Ministry of Science, Prof. Col. (ret.) Yitzhak Ben-Israel, who presented the report to the committee, "Israel is still the leader in spending on R&D as a percentage of GNP - 4.4%, but only about 20% of this expenditure comes from government sources and the rest from industry. The Council calls for the government's investment in R&D to be doubled within four years in order to align with the OECD countries.
Among the recommendations presented today in the committee:
In relation to the research infrastructures - the Council recommends establishing a new unique fund to finance national research infrastructures in the amount of NIS 100 million per year. According to the report, "Such an addition will be of crucial importance to the research capabilities of the Israeli scientific community and will establish its position in collaborations with research communities in Europe and the world." The Council believes that improving the research infrastructure in Israel is necessary for the advancement of science and the carrying out of groundbreaking research in a world where technological progress is constantly moving forward and that the research infrastructures must be compared to those of the world's leading universities in order to catch up.
As for the education system - the council calls for the planning of a long-term national policy for the system, with an emphasis on the higher education system and fostering excellence in education. "In the absence of a national policy," Prof. Ben-Israel said in the discussion, "the system has more flexibility, but there is no coordination and control and no continuity." According to the report, it is important to cultivate excellence both among the population of gifted students (the top percentile) and outstanding students (the top decile) and to cultivate a culture of excellence among all students. The Council recommends establishing a mechanism, which will enable the cultivation of excellence in a national perspective, while preserving entrepreneurship and providing equal opportunities for all students. Also, the council calls on the government to recognize the importance of the national resource of the research universities and to support their proper budgeting.
With regard to research in colleges - the council recommends encouraging research collaborations between faculty members from colleges and researchers from universities, which will allow college researchers to use the universities' research infrastructures and thereby expand the basis and scope of research in Israel.
In relation to the promotion of business R&D - the MOLMOP recommends that the government treat business R&D in general and industrial R&D in particular as a "strategic growth engine for the economy", and therefore adopt a policy based on a multi-year planning horizon that is essential in achieving high effectiveness and maximum marginal return for the economy.
The report states that "the council views with concern the ongoing decrease in the burden of industrial R&D financing by the government and its imposition on the business sector, at relatively high rates compared to the OECD countries." Against the background of these data, the council recommends that the government's participation in business R&D be increased within four years to a rate of 10% - a participation rate similar to the average between 1999-2000.
With regard to the utilization of globalization for the promotion of the industrial economy - the council recommends adding to the threshold conditions for the entry of international companies into the support framework also the scope of the annual R&D that will be carried out in Israel and the level of innovation in the R&D that will be carried out. In addition to this, the government must invest additional resources in expanding the country's international ties and agreements, focusing on emerging countries with potential, such as China, India and Brazil.
The report was compiled by 16 council members, scientists and experts with reputation and experience in R&D and R&D policy from academia, industry and research institutions
