Is this for Real? Israelis Invent New Cleantech Fuel System

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Watch out Shai Agassi of Project Better Place. Moshe Lerner and his crew are claiming a major breakthrough in Cleantech Fuel Systems that could render Agassi’s Project irrelevant. Is this too good to be true? Check it out for yourselves at Infolive.tv. It seems that anything claiming to be Cleantech will get media attention these days. While I doubt Mr Lerner has the marketing expertise to generate the kind of interest and support Agassi has garnered from the public and investors, it makes one wonder whether the better, cleaner, cheaper technology will take over fossil fuels or will it be the guys with the most money, business and marketing savy and guts to make things happen? I’ve noticed there’s alot of talk about how the Europeans and the Saudis are out pacing the US, however I think this is more of a marathon run. The American’s usually come out on top when it comes to commercial and marketing prowess. Regardless of who wins this is going to be an exciting race for a long time.

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A Review of Israel Ministry of Finance SRI Position Paper

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Last week, I received an email from the Israeli Ministry of Finance of great significance. The email announced the publishing of a policy paper by a division within the Ministry to consider the implications of Socially Responsible Investing. This email quietly has the potential to change the way Israeli society views the capital markets. Currently the capital markets are viewed by Israelis as the unbridled ability to maximize profits with little concern for society’s well being or ethical standards. Little debate has taken place on this topic and sadly many efforts to raise the topic has resulted in the hijacking of the debate by corporate interests rather than an open balanced debate by all sectors of the Israeli public. I propose that people who have any concern for the well being of Israeli society ought to turn their attention to SRI as a tool for moderating values in Israeli society. As this paper proposes, having legislation enacted that allow ethical and moral considerations to be considered by a fund manager is the foundation on which our society’s economy shall reflect our desire for a just and good society. Without this legislative foundation we are very close to economic anarchy.

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Water Is The Way To Go

Filed Under Cleantech, Israel | Tags: , | 1 Comment

With all the hype about Cleantech lately its not easy to separate hot air from real stuff. Neverthless the search for solving some of the world’s most pressing issues will ensure Cleantech is not simply a passing fad but rather a sustainable investment theme. As in any game it will be those people with the knoweldge, experience and skill set who will come out in front. Israel has missed the clean energy wave or will at least need to play catch up with its European, Chinese and North American competitors.

However the water sector is another story. Israel has had a 50 year head start on the rest of the world. The recent high level delegation of Israel’s leading water industry experts to Australia proved that Israel truly can add value and assist the global community in managing their water problems.  As always the winners will have to keep their eye on the ball, ensure business fundamentals are there and persevere. Good luck to us all!

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$2,225m of Capital Flowed into Clean Energy

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Recent figures released by New Energy Finance are quite remarkable. $2,225m of venture capital and private equity flowed into the clean energy industry worldwide in the three months of 2007. The press release is full of interesting facts on alternative energy deal flow. No mention of Israeli deals. Israel should be leading this sector as it has the most to gain (security, political and environmental). Israel should become the first country to achieve 100% energy independence.

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Maintaining Israel’s Competitive Advantage

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The topic of maintaining Israel’s competitive advantage is constantly “top of mind” for me. During the Pesach break I’ve had more time than usual to think about this topic. The common approach for people who comment on competitive advantage is to focus on Israel’s technological advantage and need for massive investment in technology based start ups in order to ensure that Israel maintains its edge. (See this presentation on The Benefits of VC on Israel’s Economy)

However I believe that as in any society, the foundations for innovation are not in well funded organizational structures. In fact as Israel has demonstrated, financial stability is by no means a key ingredient for innovation. Israel has succeeded despite lack of financial support. I humbly propose that its our unique social structure that has allowed us to produce tremendous technological innovations. Lev Leviev commented on this topic several months ago and pointed to the need to invest in Jewish education since Jewish education has been Israeli society’s key ingredient for thousands of years and has ensured the moral fiber, national vision and intellectual foundation for generations of Israelis to succeed regardless of the circumstances.

Policy makers of Israel should head the words of one of Israel’s finest business personalities. Leviev is deeply routed in Jewish tradition and education and understands the unique ingredients such an education provides our new generation. I am always amazed that so many of the successful business people I meet on a daily basis concur with these thoughts. So many successful Israeli business people refer to their Jewish upbringing subconsciously and regardless of their level of observance.

Money is everywhere! Technology is everywhere! Only in Israel are there all the ingredients for a full Jewish education. This is our competitive edge and we should view it as such.

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