When Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, turned up at Davos this year, he stressed the country’s strengths in the field of cyber security and how that can offer benefits for potential new friends in the region.

I am not sure if Netanyahu’s speech was well-attended. However, he has a crucial central point. More and more conglomerates are turning to Israel in order to learn how to take a big stride ahead in the world of commerce. Intel, Google, Microsoft et al have long r&d and/ or manufacturing processes in the Holy Land. Even Telstra, the Telco giant from far-off Australia, have now sent senior execs to Israel to meet with key players in one of the world’s fastest-growing tech hubs.

The ‘start up nation syndrome’ keeps driving ahead. This coming week in Jerusalem, the Our Crowd investment group, led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, will host thousands of overseas investors. OurCrowd is entering 2016 with some amazing stats: $200M of investments, 10,000 investors, investors from 110 countries around the world, and 93 portfolio companies. (Last year, in 2015, investment in Israeli tech companies reached $5B, a growth of over 100% over the last two years.)

Our Crowd’s efforts are not alone in the market place. For example, reverting back to the Australian theme, in November I met an amazing 50 person-strong delegation from Australia. Young entrepreneurs to seasoned bankers, they explored all facets of the Israeli high-tech set up.

At a cocktail function, I entered into an extensive discussion with Stephen Rutter, manager of UTS Business school’s Business Practice Unit. As he later recalled: –

I saw in Israel that a culture formed from 2000 years of overcoming adversity underpins innovation and entrepreneurship there. The start-up community’s innovative spirit is also formed in the crucible of military conscription, where lives are at risk and everyone is personally involved and affected. It is something of the national character that Israelis are alert to possibilities that can make a difference, and willing to take action, quickly!

Israel is ranked 5th in Bloomberg’s innovation index. At the recent CES show in Las Vegas, dozens of Israeli firms were present. I know of European commercial leaders waiting to join the bandwagon in 2016. It is Israeli technology that continues to make an important and positive difference to the lives of billions globally.