Israel’s next chapter of innovation is taking shape through quantum computing, artificial intelligence and new opportunities for international collaboration. In the article below, Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority at the time of the interview, discusses the ambitions and challenges shaping the country’s technological future.
By Felice Friedson, The Media Line. Published in The Jerusalem Post on 29 July 2026.
Israel’s quantum leap: Preparing for the next technology revolution
Israel’s next chapter of innovation is taking shape through quantum computing, artificial intelligence and international collaboration. In this interview, Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority at the time, discusses the opportunities and challenges shaping the country’s technological future.
An abridged adaptation of an article by Felice Friedson, The Media Line, published in The Jerusalem Post on 29 July 2026.
The next great technological revolution may emerge from processors, algorithms and controllers developed by different companies and brought together for the first time. That is the thinking behind Israel’s proposed national quantum-computing research and development centre, designed to help local companies test, integrate and refine their technologies.
“Until just a few years ago, it was seen as something which is too futuristic and will not happen in our generation,” Bin said. Recent progress, however, has accelerated the prospect of practical quantum computing.
Israel already has an emerging cluster of companies developing quantum technologies, with some becoming leaders in specialist components. According to Bin, Israeli early-stage companies attracted around 10% of global private investment in quantum computing in 2025.
The challenge is bringing their capabilities together. Some companies build processors, while others develop algorithms or controllers. The proposed centre would provide a shared environment where these technologies could be integrated and benchmarked.
Its immediate purpose is to establish an R&D laboratory where hardware and software can be tested together. This reflects Israel’s broader approach to innovation: specialise, collaborate and compete in areas where its expertise can make a significant contribution.
Quantum computing could eventually solve certain scientific and technological problems far beyond the practical reach of conventional computers. Bin expects usable applications before 2030 and believes Israeli companies must be positioned to participate.
While the United States and other major economies are investing heavily, Israel’s success need not depend on producing an entire quantum computer independently. Its companies could instead supply critical components used in leading systems worldwide.
Private investment remains central to that strategy. “We want to see the entrepreneurs and the investors take the lead, and the government only invest in order to help them grow their companies,” Bin said.
Artificial intelligence presents a more immediate opportunity for regional cooperation. Israel has considerable technological expertise, but limited land and energy for the large data centres that AI requires. Neighbouring countries offer complementary resources.
“AI requires, on one hand, a lot of technology, which Israel excels in,” Bin said. “But also from the other end, it needs for the data centers, lots of land and lots of energy, which Israel does not have.”
He sees potential for partnerships combining Israeli technology with infrastructure in surrounding countries, including the United Arab Emirates. Such cooperation could support shared development while drawing on each country’s strengths.
Looking further ahead, Bin believes the convergence of AI and quantum computing could create possibilities that are difficult to anticipate today, including new approaches to AI training and inference.
Yet the pace of development also creates risks. Governments and regulators, he argued, must understand emerging technologies and address their dangers as they develop.
“Those technologies are developing so fast that we cannot wait a few decades and see what happens,” he said.
The transition will also demand adaptability from workers and businesses. Universities and scientific research are essential to quantum development, but continuous learning will matter across the economy as AI changes jobs, products and competition.
“The most important thing that you learn in the university is how to learn. It’s not necessarily the knowledge that you gain, but rather the way you gain it.”
Bin illustrated this through his own experience. After moving from coding into business roles earlier in his career, he recently taught himself to develop code using AI.
He acknowledged that AI will displace jobs, while arguing that people who acquire new skills can find rewarding opportunities. The challenge extends beyond learning to operate a tool: it requires reconsidering how a job or business works.
Critical thinking will remain essential. Users must question AI-generated information, check its accuracy and recognise when a different approach or question is needed.
Alongside these longer-term changes, the Innovation Authority faces immediate economic pressures. A strong shekel can reduce the spending power of startups that raise capital in dollars while paying expenses in Israeli currency.
Bin described how funding intended to support a company for 24 months could effectively shrink to 18 months, leaving less time to reach the milestones needed for another investment round. Businesses earning overseas revenue face similar pressure on their margins.
The authority’s planned response is a special fund to extend startup runway, helping viable companies reach their next funding milestone despite currency movements outside their control.
It is also seeking new areas for growth. Together with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the authority announced a six-million-shekel BlueTech energy programme to explore the potential of Israel’s coastline.
The initiative seeks research proposals with commercial potential in energy generation and storage, including technologies drawing on waves, wind or biological sources. Successful solutions could serve both Israel and other coastal countries.
These initiatives formed part of Bin’s agenda as he prepared to step down after five years leading the authority, a period marked by the pandemic, war and substantial pressure on the technology sector.
Reflecting on his most difficult moment, he pointed to the disruption immediately after the outbreak of war. Startups lost staff to reserve duty, volunteering and family responsibilities, while flight disruptions restricted sales activity and investor visits. Companies in the middle of fundraising faced sudden uncertainty.
The authority introduced a fast-track funding channel that combined public support with private investment. Bin believes the intervention helped protect around 250 startups.
His approach throughout these challenges was to support companies through immediate disruption while continuing to invest in future capabilities. The proposed quantum centre, regional AI partnerships, startup funding and marine-energy research all reflect that ambition.
For Israel’s innovation economy, the task ahead is to turn scientific expertise and entrepreneurial strength into technologies that can compete globally, while ensuring the companies developing them have the support to grow.
To learn more about Israel’s innovations, please contact Lachlan Corne
E: Lachlan.Corne@israeltrade.gov.il
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