Israel: The Land of Researcher Inventors

Translated by Nina Fink, Nathalie Hamou Publié le
Israel: The Land of Researcher Inventors
Daniel Rouach, Visiting Professor at the University of Tel Aviv and the Technion: "Israel has followed the example of Stanford, the worldwide leader in technology transfers." // ©  Photo fournie par le témoin
EducPros spoke with Daniel Rouach, ESCP Europe Professor and Visiting Professor at the University of Tel Aviv and the Technion, to discuss the differences between France and Israel when it comes to technology transfers.

What distinguishes Israeli universities' approach to technology transfers from that of French universities?

There is a very different mindset. In Israel, scientists' salaries are 30 to 40% lower than those of their French counterparts. So they need to find additional sources of income. They are also very interested in the possibility of creating international connections. In France, researchers are more like government employees. Researchers who make money are looked down upon and that creates conflicts on research teams.

How do Israeli universities manage to motivate their researchers and professors?

A high-performing system was put into place early on in order to capitalize on inventions and share work. Researchers make the discoveries and perfect and develop the inventions. Private companies affiliated with Israeli universities handle all of the schools' intellectual property matters: patent filing, licensing and royalty payments to the universities and the researchers.

Israel has followed the example of Stanford, the worldwide leader in technology transfers. Additionally, the country has adopted an even more professional approach to the transfers and instituted very clear regulations. Israel's researcher inventors benefit directly from the fruits of their inventions, even if they never hold the patents.

What could French university research institutions learn from Israel?

The main lesson is that you can't have a complex about money. It is important to put rules into place that will allow French researchers to benefit from their inventions. Israel understood early on that capitalizing on research would help fight against the academic brain drain whereby local researchers move to the U.S. It should be in the direct interest of French researchers for them to stay in French labs.

Read the article (in French)
Translated by Nina Fink, Nathalie Hamou | Publié le