1

Israel’s Galilee Region

John E. Golub, Ph. D.

Regional Coordinator

Council for Higher Education

State of Israel

Economic Snapshot

ISRAEL Benchmark

Median age 28.6 ~40 (EU)

Tertiary education 46.0% 27% (OECD)

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $31,767 31,500 (OECD)

Export as % of GDP 40% 13.1% (US)

R&D as % per capita GDP 4.5% 1.6% (OECD)

2

President Shimon Peres

“The only historic mistake I

regret is that we didn’t dream

big enough.”

-Safed, July 6, 2009

Regional Variation:

Economic/Labor Snapshot

Center Galilee

Economy

• High-tech

• Financial

• Manufacturing

• Services

• Farming

• Services

• Plastics, metals

• High-tech

Disposable income 100 60

Academic

professionals1/14 1/31

Source: Central Bureau of Statistics and Tzafona

3

Regional Variation:

Socio-economic clusters

Socio-economic clusters 1―3 4―5 6―7 8―10

Tel Aviv + Center―Jews 6 13 43 38

Galilee―Jews 0 62 35 3

Tel Aviv + Center―Arabs 42 50 6 2

Galilee―Arabs 82 16 2 0

Source: Tzafona

Low High

The Galilee is not riding the same

economic train as Israel’s center.

4

424 km

Jerusalem

Negev

Haifa GalileeGolan

Tel Aviv

114 km

Project Region

Galilee

Golan

Haifa

District

Sea of Galilee

Haifa

Sub-District

Hadera

Sub-District

Jordan River

Kiryat

Shmona

(22)

Nahariya (52)

Acre (46)

Haifa (265)

Nazareth

(66+43)

Tibereas

(40)

Safed (29)

Carmiel (45)

Sakhnin (25)

Afula

(40)

Katzrin

(7)

Majdal

Shams

(9)

20,000 – 30,000

30,000 – 50,000

>200,000

5

Vineyards in the Upper Galilee

Capernaum Mt. Tabor

6

Beth Shean (Scythopolis)

Nimrod Castle.

7

Tel Yodfat, site of Roman siege.

Valley of Tears battle site.

8

Bethsaida archeological dig.

“And they came to Bethsaida.

And they brought a blind man

to Jesus and implored Him to

touch him.”

--Mark 8:22-26

Galilee Competitiveness

Essential

Ingredient1Target

(Ideal)

Galilee

(Actual)

Strategy

Governance

Innovation

Entrepreneurship

1. Drabenstott, Higher Education Management and Policy, vol. 20, pg. 32 (2008).

Identify regional strengths Drive internal migration

Strong regional voice with

local ownership of issues.

No regional government.

~50 local councils.

Strong innovation engine

+ regional engagement.

Technion. Significant but

ad-hoc engagement.

A thriving community in a

supportive environment.

Spin-out activity from

Technion. Incubators.

9

Inclusiveness in

regional development

Positive Factors

• National commitment to development

• Powerful innovation engines

– Technion, U. Haifa

– ORT-Braude, Tel Hai, MIGAL

• Success stories

– ISCAR, technology parks, incubators

• Attractive living conditions

• Supportive national framework

10

Higher education management

can be a catalyst.

Opportunity

Steering CommitteeSelected Members

• National Stakeholders

– Mr. Silvan Shalom, Deputy Prime Minister

Minister for the Development of the Negev and Galilee

– Prof. Avishai Braverman, Minister for Minority Affairs

– Mr. Steven Stav, Director General, Council for Higher Education

• Regional and Local Stakeholders

– Mr. Stef Wertheimer, ISCAR

– Prof. Dan Levanon, Chairman of the Board, planned Galilee Medical School

– Mr. Moshe Davidovich, General Manager, Galilee Development Authority

– Dr. Bishara Bisharat, Director, Nazareth Hospital

– Mr. Tamim Yasin, Chairman, Nazareth Technology Incubator

• HEI’s

– Technion

– University of Haifa

– Various colleges

11

Israel’s Galilee Region

Thank you.

.תודה.شكرا