The term Silicon Wadi refers to areas of Israel with a high concentration of high-tech companies. Wadi, the Arabic term for valley or dry riverbed, is also used colloquially in Hebrew. Hence, Silicon Wadi is Israel’s equivalent of California’s Silicon Valley. The term originally referred to Tel Aviv and its environs, but high-tech centers have now developed in other parts of the country as well. That a tiny nation like Israel has emerged as a major high-tech player on the world stage is truly extraordinary.
Quote: “Israel has earned a reputation in recent years as a tech powerhouse. It has the second-highest concentration of high-tech companies in the world after Silicon Valley and the largest number of start-ups per capita in the world. But how did a state the size of New Jersey with nine million inhabitants become a technology giant and a favorite destination for tech multinationals?”
Sources: Wikipedia, New Statesman
Learn more about Silicon Wadi on Wikipedia. >>
Read “How Israel became a tech powerhouse” >>
Watch “Why Israel Is a Tech Capital of the World” [11:44]. >>
Photo: Shutterstock