Mind-blowing is the only way to describe our day at Tel Aviv University (TAU).

We were welcomed by the international Dean, who told us about the 1.1 kilometres long university that houses 89,000 students, across 9 disciplines, all of whom collaborate to offer a true multi-disciplinary approach to education and we saw clear evidence of that in the students and academics we met, the departments we visited and the inventions / innovations and outcomes we saw.

We learnt that students start Uni at around 24 years of age, after completing their army, a gap year of travel (for most) and then having to sit and pass a 1-year Uni preparatory course, before they get on campus, as mature age students.

We also visited with some of the university faculties to see what they’re up to, meeting with and hearing from student start-ups tackling cyber security; 3D printing; water recycling (80% of all Israel’s water is recycled and reused, the highest in the world); sorting, labelling and fighting fake news and all of these are 100% practical running start-ups making $$$$ and selling their services and often their companies to the world’s largest companies.

We moved onto another start-up incubator / accelerator to meet founders and developers of incredibly diverse and innovative companies, products and services.

We heard from a company that has developed a way to naturally strengthen the root system of plants and increase yields and decrease water and fertiliser needs; another that has the most incredible ½ metre agricultural spike device you literally screw into the land – which then connects the soil to a satellite and begins to send you 24/7 100% accurate information into what, where, why and when the soil needs in terms of  nutrition / water / fertilisation.

Another has invented a 100% biodegradable plastic that breaks down in 6 months and can be, and is being, used by many of our large supermarket brands.

Our final start-up stop yesterday was an energy company generating electricity from the ocean’s wave.

At dinner last night we had a presentation from the world’s Number 1 cybersecurity expert (literally the guy that invented it here 25 years ago, who is now used by Google, Apple and others to establish and benchmark their cybersecurity operations and was in Australia last year consulting to our government) who scared the hell out of us, with what is being done, by whom and how this is only the beginning of what will now be a “forever” issue and to calm ourselves down we all headed off to the Batsheva dancers, to see Israeli creativity in human motion.

No wonder I’m tired.

Tomorrow we explore aerospace, home security and cybersecurity and meet with the Australian ambassador

If you want more insights, want to be connected to any of these people, or just to chat about Israel’s innovation scene and perhaps find collaborators here for your great idea, DM me.

#WishYouWereHere #Innovation #Israel #Future #FuturistSpeaker #StartUp #SiliconValley