Mayor Bob Buckhorn, as we know, likes wearing the hat of Tampa’s top pitchman. Always selling the city. In fact, rubbing his palms at the very prospect. But he’s not been waiting for next summer’s GOP national convention to work the ultimate house. He also does mundane, and he also hits the recruiting trail.
He recently broke new ground by jumping onto the website Quora.com to respond to an open-ended query about what Florida political leaders were doing to create jobs. And he’s already left the country to show the city’s economic-development flag on missions to Panama and Israel.
And speaking of the latter, I found myself among those checking out the Mayor Buckhorn-goes-to-Israel press conference last week. He was part of a trade mission/sister city (Ashdod) contingent of more than two dozen that also visited Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. A top Buckhorn priority: meeting with officials of Simbionix, a manufacturer of medical-training simulators. As in those to be utilized at USF’s CAMLS (Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation) project under construction downtown. As in making the case that Simbionix just might want to set up a regional shop here–and pivot to two continents from a city that welcomes the technology and jobs of the future and features a major research university, a deep-water port and a world-class airport.
“It’s about gleaning knowledge and building relationships,” said Buckhorn before departing. “This is an economic opportunity.
“My role is to further relations with Israel–not politics,” he said in response to a question that referenced Palestinian issues.
According to data compiled by the Tampa Bay Partnership, foreign investment in the 8-county Tampa Bay area includes four Israeli-owned businesses out of some 480 foreign-owned entities. Obviously, there’s room for Israeli growth–and that means technology. From robotics and electric cars to desalination and bio-waste management.
Israel’s Rebranding
For those not familiar with Israel being known for something other than tripwire geopolitics and caustic, Bibi Netanyahu rhetoric, this country of 7 million, surrounded by adversaries and challenged by a dearth of natural resources, has made itself into a high-tech mecca, if you will. It venerates innovation and churns out cutting-edge start ups–and attracts venture capital–like nobody else in the world.
These points were well underscored after the press conference. In fact, the press conference, retrospectively, was a warm-up act for Mideast expert Dan Senor, 40, the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle.
The Utica, N.Y. native was the keynote speaker for the Tampa Bay Joint Federation Campaign Kickoff event at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. The co-sponsors were The Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties and the Tampa Jewish Federation.
The media was invited to linger longer and stay for Senor’s presentation. Some did. It was well worth it.
As noted previously, this was an opportunity to put Israel into a context other than Middle East tinderbox or American political-pander staple. This wasn’t about Iran, East Jerusalem settlements, the ever-elusive peace process or Netanyahu, who, notably enough, has been known to reference Start-Up Nation in speeches.
This was about a country with a collective, zero-sum ethic: Do whatever it takes to make yourself an indispensible global player, Zionist targeting and historical enmities notwithstanding. Or as Senor would later note in an aside: “It makes it that much tougher to de-legitimize Israel.”
The sheer numbers are revelatory.
Israel has the highest density of tech start-ups in the world. And these start-ups attract more venture-capital dollars per capita than any other country. Two and a half times that of the United States. Thirty times more than Europe. Three hundred times more than China. Israel has more representation on the NASDAQ than do Europe, India, China, Japan, Singapore and Korea combined. It’s no secret that where there is an Intel, Microsoft, Google or Motorola, there is a connection–via technology and talent–with Israel.
Key Factors
Senor focused on several salient factors contributing to Israel’s status as an innovation avatar and entrepreneurial hub: open immigration, the role of the military and a societal tolerance for initial failure.
Israel, said Senor, is the “quintessential immigrant nation,” continuously restocking its population. It now numbers more than 70 nationalities. It is no less diverse for being the Jewish state.
“Some might think, ‘But they’re all Jews,'” expressively noted Senor, who is Jewish. “But we’re talking about immigrants from the U.S., Russia, Australia, Iran, Ethiopia. And they arrive motivated.”
Senor took pains to point out that by saying “the military” was a critical element in helping forge a tech-savvy state, he wasn’t referring to a “military industrial complex.” Mandatory Israeli military service–between high school and university–Senor said, serves a purpose beyond national defense. It also produces stake-holders and helps energize the innovation offensive.
He explained that the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) was not bureaucracy driven. Not top heavy with commanders. A premium is placed on being “nimble,” making decisions, assuming responsibility and “figuring things out.” The military also features elite technical units whose members leave service with transferable skills.
“In Israel, employers are likely to ask: ‘What unit did you serve in?’ Not like here, where it’s ‘What was your major?'”
Senor also underscored the Israeli societal phenomenon that is, ironically, its “incredible tolerance for failure.” He cited a “start-fail-start” pattern that correlates with innovation encouragement and, consequently, entrepreneurism. “‘Intelligent failure’ they call it,” said Senor, where “risk is embraced.”
He might also have termed it chutzpah. In Israel, there is a culture of questioning. From the way employees challenge bosses to the way clerks second guess government ministers. Everything’s up for debate. The obvious is still fair game for challenge. Perspective is critical.
Thus, it’s hardly a quantum leap to innovation ripples–and the ultimate bottom line.
“The West needs innovation and Israel’s got it,” summarized Senor. “Israel truly is making the world a better place.”