R&D Policy in Israel: an Overview and Reassessment.

The goal of this paper is to examine R&D policy in Israel, and suggest possible changes to it. We review in Part I the various programs of the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Israel, the main body responsible for R&D policy, including their mission and mode of operation. We then present quantitative indicators of OCS activities over time and an overview of the rise of the High-Tech sector in Israel with the aid patent date. In Part II we examine outstanding policy issues and put forward suggestions for reform.