The Israel-Holland Innovation Day took place on Feb. 4th at The Hague and was devoted to showcase 'smart cities.'
The event is an initiative of the Foreign Trade Administration at the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Israel Export Institute and is co-sponsored by the Dutch Ministry of Economy.
Dozens of Dutch industrialists and government officials attended, as well as representatives of more than 20 Israeli companies, including Checkmarx, MobilEye, Cellint and other companies in the fields of smart transportation, energy efficiency, information security and more.
In addition, representatives of leading academic institutions and local councils also participated. The event focused on the influence of technological development on the quality of life of residents of modern cities and on creating “smart cities” which can supply quick, efficient and secure services to its residents.
Roundtables were held on various subjects like energy efficiency, water and sewage treatment, smart transportation and ways to protect city systems and critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. At the same time, business meetings were held between representatives of Israeli companies and decision-makers in Dutch companies and the government, in order to forge cooperation in business, trade and technology.
According to Ofer Sachs, Director of the Israel Export Institute, "The Innovation Day is an excellent opportunity for Israeli companies, large and small, to present the technological innovation and solutions they offer the world in various fields, including: smart transportation, smart energy and cyber-security.
Technologies will be presented to decision-makers from the municipalities of Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, to local and multinational integrators and to local companies and representatives of local innovation and R&D centers. The term 'smart city' refers to a wide range of technologies, including security (physical security and information security), communications, applications, smart transportation, recycling, water, control and monitoring, and software. The smart city has vast business potential for a large number of Israeli technology companies."
According to the Foreign Trade Administration, Israeli exports to Holland reached US$2.3 billion in 2015, 12% lower than 2014. Imports in 2015 reached US$1.1 billion, 6% less than in 2014.
