Israel UAE | Business Guide | 2021

T hewealth of creative, innovative inventions by Israeli start-ups, enterprises and R&D institutions barely need any introduction. Products that opened up exciting new opportunities range from drip irrigation to transportation, safetyandnavigationsolutions tocomputer hardware such as PCs and the disk on key, No wonder that Israel was rated 3 rd leading start-up ecosystem in StartupBlink’s annual ecosystemrankings report for 2020 and 3 rd most innovative country in the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2015 - 2016 . In the evolution of cities to become smart, self-sufficient, resilient and inclusive ecosystems, many israeli innovations impact diverse sectors, creatinganecosystemof disruptive innovations and opportunities. Aquick search in theStart- up Nation Central directory of innovative SMEs reveals over 780 companies with mature products in diverse areas of Smart Cities. Innovative products for Smart Cities reachmuch farther than digital tech alone. The real benefit of Smart Cities is not in the use of digital tech such as sensors, AI and operational systems. For cities to be really smart, they need to attract creative talent and they need to be self- sufficient and sustainable. This requires an ecosystem approach. Products and services therefore encompass diverse sectors - IoT andAI technology, circular economy, smart transportation, environmental quality, sustainable energy, foodtech, cleantech, urban agriculture, waste reduction and even social sustainability offerings in the emerging areas of tech.  Funding sources for the vibrant research anddevelopment of these hundreds of innovative solutions across all Smart Cities areas, are also diverse - The Israel Innovation Authority supports and guides start-ups acrossmultiple innovation and funding arenas. EU Horizon 2020 grants, Hi-Tech investment funds and specialized funds for sustainableenergyor Foodtechoffer funding inspecialized sectors. Accelerators and competitions offer additional resources. CityZone is a living lab offered by Tel Aviv University, Tel AvivMunicipality and the Atidim Industrial Park to scale up diverse solutions for urban challenges. Capsula TAU focus on shaping the future of smart mobility. Other accelerator programs, competitions and exhibitions provide opportunities for startups in urban innovation andSmart Cities areas such asGreenTech at the Technion sustainability hub inHaifa, DLDTel Aviv Innovation Festival and Eilat-Eilot Conference for Sustainable Energy. Yet, the greatest secret of all, the ingredient that makes the cake rise, is ecosystemcollaboration. The strong spirit of community blendedwith the practices of co-opetition, where seemingly competitive companies create clusters and shared offerings that provide an across-the-board solution. When SMEs reach out and work together to create a new ecosystem, everyone wins. We do not need to be extremely innovative to understand this secret. Actually, we just need to look back into our tradition as well into our greatest partner of all - nature. Learning how natural ecosystems work and deriving bio-inspiration from nature is a great asset. ● ● ● Thewriter is Environment &Sustainability Associate, Israel Smart Cities Institute. Researcher, Urban Innovation and Sustainability Lab, Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Tel Aviv University. Israeli Innovations in Smart Cities Building an Ecosystem that makes them Self-sufficient & Resilient | Avigdor Sharon Israel-UAE > Business Guide > 2021 36 > Smart Cities > Sector review