THE JERUSALEM REPORT APRIL 9, 2012 35

bassy hub is taking special interest in the

emerging feld oI environmental 'clean
technology. Israels long-standing exper-
tise in water engineering and water man-
agement comes to the fore in that area.
Israel has companies with advanced
technology in desalination, purifcation,
irrigation, says Krieger. The UK has a
large water industry that has been priva-
tized but is regulated. Water utilities are
constantly seeking new technologies that
will improve their bottom line, which is
why we have brought delegations of Israeli
water companies to the UK.
Arabic-speaking
The Arabic-speaking sector in Israel, yet
another example of the complementari-
ties between what the UK and Israel have
to offer, is also a focus of the teams ef-
forts. London, explains Krieger, is a ma-
jor hub for Arabic-speaking media and
services for the Arab world. Israel has a
highly-educated Arabic-speaking popu-
lation. The quickest route to connecting
the Israeli Arab sector and the wider Arab
world might just run through Britain. The
hub is currently seeking a candidate to di-
rect its Arabic-language division and make
business connections between Israeli-Arab
companies and UK-based corporations.
Kriegers team is also looking at partner-
ship opportunities in the fnancial services
sector. London is one of the worlds lead-
ing fnancial services centers, while Israeli
know-how, in the private sector and the
universities, potentially has much to of-
fer in technology support for that industry.
Barclays, a British bank, recently opened
an R&D center in Israel to develop tech-
nologies Ior the fnancial sector.
Even Walmart has bought start-ups,
points out Krieger. They understand that
these days it is not enough to outsource all
your digital technology needs. Software
is no longer only Internet and telecoms. It
is important now in fnancial services, in
retail, in most businesses. That is what is
exciting here, in that there is so much real
business potential. Our mission is to pro-
mote innovation and economic growth on
both sides. Partnerships between the UK
and Israel in technology can beneft both
sides.
Outbrains Galai, who participated in the
UK-Israel technologies hubs new media
event in March, says he does not need to
be convinced of that. They are preaching
to the converted, he says with a laugh.
From our perspective, London is the place
for our European headquarters, no doubt
about it.

We are not handing out

money, this is not a fund.
We are providing
a very important
facilitation service
WORKINGSESSION: A British delegation meets Israeli entrepreneurs at a workshop at the British Ambassadors residence in Ramat Gan
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