Israel makes pitch for Philippine tech innovation through schools, startups

MANILA, Philippines – Israel is proposing the creation of an innovation and technology hub in the Philippines by partnering with and investing more in academic institutions and startup incubators in the country. 

The Embassy of Israeli in Manila on Tuesday hosted a roundtable discussion with university representatives and government agencies on how to get investors in the Philippines to invest in startups. The embassy said it also recently hosted an innovation exhibit at the Senate on Monday.

Israel has been at the forefront of innovations in irrigation and agricultural technology.

"Technology also has to be relevant to the country, to the culture, to the local problems so it is not simply copy-paste and just bringing in technology, it has to be adjusted and better more, is to develop a solution according to the problem or the challenge," Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said. 

He added that Israel is ready to assist the Philippines in developing an ecosystem that is responsive to Manila’s issues.

One of the ways the Philippines can be more friendly to startups and incubators for innovation is through partnering with academic institutions, especially using research developed in universities. 

Guest speaker Or Haviv, partner at US-based technology firm holding company Arieli Capital, noted that his firm recently launched an "innovation, commercialization, and investment joint venture" with Israel’s largest university, which includes providing a $50-million fund.  

Haviv said Israel is exposing its citizens to the innovations and solutions industry as early as possible through mobile games. 

"Israel is trying to get people as young as kindergarten interested in cyber in a very interesting set of programs that when you look at them, they look like online and mobile gaming processes but they are actually doing cyber competitions for very young aged kids and they get them to like cyber through gaming," Haviv said. – Kaycee Valmonte