It is five since Dan Senor and Saul Singer described Israel as a ‘start-up nation’. They analysed how a desert tariff-based economy emerged from bankruptcy in 1986 to become a force on the high-tech scene.

Whether you put the factors down to better governance, improved access to global markets, the impact of ex-army types moving over to industry or otherwise, the question remains if this triumph can continue to repeat itself.

Yesterday, I visited Beersheba. It is nearly a two hour drive from Jerusalem. There are few good hotels. The area is known as where Abraham sojourned, and where the British passed through in 1917. Actually, despite being on the edge of the Negev the city is geographically almost placed in the centre of the country. So what?

In 2014, Beersheba will open an r&d centre, co-sponsored by Lockheed Martin and EMC. In parallel, CyberSpark will offer a new complex for the blossoming cyber industry in Israel. And separately, the Advanced Technologies Park was officially launched this year.

All very encouraging. However, what I saw yesterday on the Ben Gurion University campus in the heart of the city was even more impressive. Innovation 2014 was the fifth annual event of its kind. It was spread out over several buildings. Aside from keynote lectures by reps from IBM, Microsoft etc, there were several hundred presentations from students. Each stand represented another potential breakthrough in its specific field.

Here is just a preliminary list of examples:

• Software to help decision-makers understand if an autistic child is suitable for a course.
• Numerous solar powered applications
• The ability to detect underwater threats
• An app to help small businesses manage queue line
• Robotic solutions for industry, operating rooms and more

The human sciences were not to be excluded. Projects were exhibited in the tourism, the branding of Bedouin villages, natural cosmetics companies located in the region, and much more. You left with the feeling that almost every other student has an idea and is determined to commercialise it, as soon as possible.

Years ago somebody commented to me that in America, students come up with an idea, stay in-house until they are ready, and then  start a company years later. As shown yesterday, blame the hot Middle Eastern sun if you want, the opposite is true in Israel. Israelis run almost irrationally to register their company.

It is arguable which is a better business model. In Israel, around 40% of new businesses do not make it to Year 5. That said, hindsight reveals that this is the approach that helped to launch the amazingly successful ‘start up’ anthem of Senor and Singer. It looks as if it will be around for some time to come.