U.S.-ISRAEL BUSINESS INITIATIVE - US Chamber of Commerce

U.S.-ISRAEL BUSINESS INITIATIVE

The U.S.-Israel Business OpportunityInevitably, national discussions relating to the U.S.-Israelrelationship focus on Israel’s standing as a vital U.S. militaryand political ally and as an important outpost of Western-styledemocracy in the Middle East. Yet perhaps the most criticalelement for the future of U.S.-Israeli relations is actually one ofthe most overlooked today—the tremendous opportunities forAmerican businesses to collaborate with a country with morestart-ups per capita than anywhere else in the world.In recent years, the U.S. business community has begun topay more attention to Israel. Israel is no longer a hardscrabblenation with an economy relying upon on U.S. aid, tourism andfruit exports, but instead has evolved into a global economicpowerhouse and hotbed of entrepreneurship. Incredibly, thereare more Israeli companies found on the NASDAQ exchangetoday than any other countries besides the U.S. and China.Israel also is a global leader when it comes to research anddevelopment, and more than 100 U.S. companies havechosen to establish R&D operations in Israel, including titansof American industry and innovation. And yet, the US-Israelcommercial relationship today is just a fraction of what it couldand should be. While two-way trade has multiplied 10 timessince the signing of the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement25 years ago, the potential for collaboration and partnershiphas grown exponentially in sectors ranging from energy to lifesciences to information communications technology.Did you know?Israel is one of the leading innovation capitals of the world.• Israel has the highest density of start-up companies in the world.• After the United States, Israel has more companies listed on NASDAQ than any other country.• In 2008, per capita venture capital investments in Israel were 2.5 times greater than in theUnited States, 30 times greater than in Europe, 80 times greater than in China, and 350 timesgreater than in India.• Israel has the highest research and development expenditures in the world.For more information visit www.uschamber.com/israel or e-mail israel@uschamber.com.

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