Israel top patent producer in Western world
Taub Center for Social Policy Studies presents study which suggests number of patents approved to Israeli inventors by US Patent Office in 2003 higher than by any other G-7 nation. Manufacturing productivity, however, rapidly plummeting
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has approved more patents to Israeli inventors than to any other nation of the G-7 countries – the seven largest and most influential economies in the Western world, according to a study conducted by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies.
According to the study, in 1990 the US has approved 6% less patents to Israeli inventors than to the average number of inventors in the G-7 countries (subject to country size). In 2003, however the number of Israeli patents approved was 69% higher than that of inventors in the G-7 countries.
The study stated that 20 out of 200 world countries have had one of their scientists win a Nobel Prize over the last decade – whereas in Israel five scientists have won the prestigious award over the same time period. It appears there are only four other countries that have noted a higher number of Nobel Prize laureates than Israel.
The study further suggested that Israeli economists are ranked first in the world, subject to country size, in the number of quotes published by leading financial magazines between 1970 and 2000. The number of quotes by Israeli economists is seven times higher than that of British economists.
Manufacturing productivity drops
The study also examined the level of manufacturing productivity. Alas, while Israel has managed to increase its creation productivity, prolificacy in manufacture has plummeted. Whereas in 1990, Israel's manufacturing productivity stood at 7% below the average in G-7 nations, by 2003 it dropped to 69% below the average.
"Instead of closing the gap with leading Western nations, as Israel has done until the mid 1970's, the State is increasingly withdrawing over the last three decades," Taub Center manager Prof. Dan Ben David said. "In 1973 the standard of living in the US was 39% higher than that of Israel's. Today the American standard of living is already 61% higher."
Ben David noted that something has happened to Israel along the way. "While parts of the Israeli population ascended to the top of human knowledge, others have been neglected and left behind."
Ben David also stated that in the past the State's human and physical resources were at the top of national priority, a reality that has changed in recent decades.
The professor further noted that despite the fact that universities are still considered the State's crown jewels, while Israel's population doubled sine 1973, the Israel Institute of Technology added only one more vacancy for senior staff.
"Israeli academia's two flag ships, the Hebrew and Tel Aviv Universities, have lost 14% and 21% respectively, of senior staff vacancies since 1973."
