British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the UK’s first-ever Tech Envoy to Israel Tuesday, as part of the close Israeli ally’s efforts to bring world-leading Israeli start-ups to Britain, “and host tech events in both countries; helping UK tech business to compete and thrive in the global race”.
Unveiling the appointment of businessman and former venture capitalist Saul Klein to the unsalaried role as an extension of last year’s established UK-Israel Tech Hub and UK-Israel Tech Council, Cameron revealed: “We want to work much more closely with Israel on innovation and technology, that’s why a year ago we launched the UK-Israel tech hub at our Embassy to link up with UK Israel Business, the Israeli Embassy here in London and countless talented young people in both our countries.”
In an official statement from his office describing Britain as “a natural partner of choice for Israel in technology”, the comment continued to herald the Jewish State as “a global powerhouse of innovation, with more start-ups per head than anywhere else in the world”.
“The UK is a natural partner for Israeli tech entrepreneurs, offering access to the world’s strongest financial centre, world-class professional and creative sectors, some of the world’s top companies, and a thriving tech community emerging out of world-class academic institutions,” concluded the statement.
Responding to news of his appointment, Klein added that from his personal experience of the technology markets in both countries, “I know that there is a huge potential synergy between our two tech economies”.
“Britain could get a huge economic boost by partnering up with Israeli tech. Israeli innovation could benefit from using Britain’s global reach, world-class companies, our scientific base, our capital markets and our business development expertise,” he added.
The UK-Israel Tech Hub was announced in October 2011, the product of an agreement between Cameron and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, as a way of building a bilateral partnership in technology to boost innovation and economic growth in both countries.