Newsweek
02/11/2025
The Trump Presidency Is Eroding the EU's Influence in the Mideast | Opinion
The European Union does not have a seat at the table.
Dennis Mitzner
Writer
Finland
Finland
The European Union does not have a seat at the table.
For a long time, Finland's Middle East policy was notably balanced and occasionally pro-Israel.
From the halls of power in Washington, D.C. to the American heartland, Israel, for decades, has enjoyed a warm friendship with American conservatives who view the country, quite correctly, as an oasis of tranquility and a robust democracy amid a sea of autocracy, religious strife and tribalism.
One of Israel's most storied politicians, Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, has thrown his significant personal and political capital behind an early stage emergency services app Reporty. With Barak's help the app company has raised $5.15 million as it seeks to leverage both his portfolio and his political acumen in its push into a crowded market.
The Israeli press has been abuzz about Amazon's alleged plans to open a local shipping center. However, this seems unlikely. While the company's presence in the country is growing, it seems that Amazon's strategy is to continue focusing its local operations on innovation around AWS and Amazon Go.
France has enlisted 45 countries for security at Paris 2024, amid rising thefts. While this boost is a relief for retailers, the event's challenges bring mixed blessings.
China's reputation over the country's misgivings surrounding the coronavirus outbreak has taken a major shellacking in US public opinion, which may come with foreign policy implications. Public opinion, ultimately a major driving force behind American policymaking may empower voices in Washington DC that view the warming relationship between China and Israel with deep concern.
Florida-headquartered Magic Leap has set up a company in Helsinki to gain access to Finland's vast, Nokia- and gaming-driven reservoir of VR and AR talent. In July, Magic Leap registered a company in Helsinki with CFO Scott Henry as the chairman of the board. The company did not return my request for a comment.
Kuang-Chi, a Shenzhen-based technology conglomerate, recently launched a $300 million Israel fund in Tel Aviv to tap the country's smart-city know-how, according to the company's founder Ruopeng Liu. "Kuang-Chi is the first Chinese corporate VC and incubator that leverages the capabilities of the Israeli market together with the distribution, sales and marketing and technology development in China," said Dorian Barak, managing partner of Indigo Global, Kuang-Chi's partner in Israel.
The EU's efforts to regulate financial markets has opened new opportunities for global fintech operators looking for universal standards to tap into the lucrative 28-country marketplace. While over-regulation can stifle growth, the fintech industry, in pursuit of consumer trust, has a lot to gain from a clearly defined regulatory framework.
Israel's cyber security bonafides are well-known with the country's cybersecurity companies raising $581 million in 2016, totaling 15 percent of the global cyber pie. In the last few years, multinationals like Cisco, Amazon, Qualcomm and Microsoft have acquired several Israeli companies and others, such as, EMC, Deutsche Telekom, Paypal, Oracle, IBM, Lockheed Martin have established ...
China and Japan are forging deeper ties with Israel's burgeoning tech industry. While China has been active in the Israeli market for some time, Japan, too, has launched a series of efforts to court the Israeli tech scene.
The Israeli government's decision to reverse math and English learning requirements for the country's ultra-Orthodox schools could deal a serious blow to Israel's vital technology industry and seems to fly in the face of the wishes of the ultra-Orthodox community itself.
With oil prices plummeting, countries blessed with natural resources are feeling the heat and Norway is no exception. Politicians responding to the oil troubles are heeding calls for a new way forward, centered around startups. And the efforts to foster a new approach are led by an ambitious ex-business exec, the Crown Prince of Norway and a handful of contrarian entrepreneurs.
Denmark was one of the first testing grounds for the once celebrated Better Place's fleet of electric cars. In 2010 the company partnered with Denmark's Dong Energy, in a €103 million Euro (770 million Danish Kroner) investment to introduce electric cars and infrastructure to Denmark.
Some months ago I wrote about Israel's potential rise as a cannabis superpower and recent news suggest the country is living up to its reputation as a leader in medical cannabis. In January the government announced plans to open the local medical marijuana market to new farms and sellers.
Uber's recent $680 million acquisition of self-driving-truck company Otto adds to the flurry of moves by major car and transportation companies looking to claim a piece of Israel's burgeoning autonomous car technology industry. [Updated on August 23 at 10:00 a.m.
Prompted by the ongoing refugee crisis affecting much of the western world, new initiatives have emerged to provide solutions to the many challenges facing the beleaguered masses. As Rahm Emanuel once famously said, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."
While most of Europe has been mired in economic turmoil since 2008, Sweden has managed to stay afloat - and even accelerate its growth. The country and, especially, its capital, Stockholm, have outpaced other European nations with a mix of unique cultural traditions, visionary tech leaders, globally oriented startups and smart government policies.
California-based secure smartphone manufacturer Turing Robotics Industries announced that it will move manufacturing and its new global headquarter to the Finnish city of Salo. Turing's decision is rooted in security concerns. "Finland's Act on the Protection of Privacy in Electronic Communications which safeguards confidentiality and privacy in telecommunications was the main reason behind TRI's move to Finland.
Known for its dynamic tech startups, agricultural innovations, and security solutions, Israel could soon add cannabis powerhouse to the list, thanks to domestic efforts to decriminalize the drug... and a push to use it as a medical export.
In 2013, a group of 70 people comprising founders, investors, angels and other tech enthusiasts, gathered at a town house in Copenhagen to discuss, debate and deliberate the state of the local startup and tech scene. A new grassroots movement, #CPHFTW (Copenhagen, for the Win), was born
In September last year, Finland's finance minister Alexander Stubb dubbed the country as the new sick man of Europe and while the country's economy is fledgling and signs point to continued lackluster growth, the country's startups - and especially its vibrant gaming scene - are flourishing, despite the uncertainty.
Sirin Labs, a new high-end smartphone manufacturer, has raised a $72 million seed round from Singulariteam founder Moshe Hogeg, Kazakh businessman Kenges Rakishev, and the Chinese social networking service Renren to launch a new, secure smartphone. The phone will be revealed in May at Sirin Labs' flagship store in London.
Most companies claim to be data-driven, but more often than not, these claims are exaggerated. Data is hugely valuable and should play a major role across all departments, from sales to marketing and IT to finance. To become data-driven, companies must prepare for a cultural shift coupled with technical preparedness.
Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion famously said that the future of Israel lies in the Negev, a desert located in southern Israel. Ben Gurion's prophetic words ring true today as Beersheba, Israel's southern capital, is morphing into a tech oasis.
Finland-based mobile payment app Tapp Commerce has raised $9 million to expand its operations in Southeast Asia for users without a bank account or credit card. Mobile phones have emerged as the dominant alternative payment method to cash for buying and selling goods and services in emerging markets.
Wikistrat's eclectic community of analysts beat the CIA by predicting Russia's annexation of Crimea. Should crowdsourcing play a bigger role in the consulting industry? (Click image for larger view and slideshow.) In January 2014, Wikistrat's crowdsourced community of analysts predicted that Crimean nationalists would demand secession from Ukraine to form a union with Russia.
A member of the governing Likud party and a long-time rival of its chairman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Moshe Feiglin currently serves as the Knesset's (Israeli parliament) deputy speaker. An advocate of personal liberty and self-identified libertarian on domestic policy, he's also a hawk who makes headlines with his hard-line stance toward Palestinians.
Israel's many health tech startups are attracting unprecedented interest from abroad, with multinational medical giants looking to benefit from the country's ongoing high-tech boom. Israel's health tech is spurred on by a global demand for innovative healthcare solutions, fueled by aging populations and struggling middle classes.
Until recently Finland's destiny was largely determined by the quarterly reports of Nokia, once a global leader in mobile phone technology, which in its heyday made up to 4% of the Finnish economy. The global financial crisis in 2008 coupled with the demise of Nokia's smartphone empire, the country's crown jewel, took the Finns by surprise.
As Israel's elections approach, the political campaigns have largely been focused on security issues. However, the rise of Moshe Feiglin's Zehut is a sign that issues relating to individual and financial freedom are gaining in popularity. Related Articles
A number of search engine startups that focus on specific verticals have emerged in Finland in recent years. The country is known to encourage policies and attitudes that emphasize equal access to information. With these policies coupled with deep engineering talent and multidisciplinary know-how, it's no wonder Finns have been busy improving search since the 1990s.
Fintech attracted the most investment for the first time in the Nordic region, more than any other vertical. Between January 1, 2014 and end of March 2016, 51 fintech investments were made in companies in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, totaling $390.17 million.
Editor's note: Dennis Mitzner lives in Tel Aviv and writes about startups, technology trends and politics. Code-free web design platforms are an increasingly popular tool among web designers. Companies behind these tools promise a design experience that doesn't require any coding skills or the need for an expensive third-party developer.
As payment solutions proliferate and calls for standardization mount, Israel-based payment platform startup Zooz said it has closed a $24 million led by Target Global Ventures, to expand globally and bolster its products and services. Zooz's series C round more than doubles the total amount invested in the company to $40.5 million, raised in four rounds.
Israeli startups look to America for inspiration, money and, of course, exits. But recent events indicate a change in course, at least for Israeli advertising and marketing technology companies that have quietly become global powerhouses. "In the last five years, the number of Israeli adtech companies has tripled.
Even with billion dollar behemoths already in the food delivery market, Helsinki-based food delivery app Wolt has managed to raise $11 million fresh funding from heavyweight Nordic investors including the founder of Skype and the chairman of Nokia as the company announced its Stockholm launch on Friday.
Editor's note: Dennis Mitzner lives in Tel Aviv and is the Chief Editor of Inside3DP. He writes about startups, technology trends and politics. Thanks to a string of big exits over the past year, Israel's technology companies are moving the country from a startup nation to an exit nation.
Editor's note: Dennis Mitzner lives in Tel Aviv and is the Chief Editor of Inside3DP. He writes about startups, technology trends and politics. Crowdfunding is enabling new fashion startups to fight against the industry norm of manufacturing in Asia, bringing production closer to home thanks to lower minimum orders, willing local manufacturers and the trend of unique, customized clothing.
Easily obtainable smartphones and tech-savvy kids can be a scary combination for religious families who live by strict ethical standards. These standards coupled with free and open access to information anywhere at anytime have forced religious communities to become active participants in a world they often avoid, or shun altogether.
Held at a massive conference hall, Cybertech 2016 in Tel Aviv showcased Israel's cybertech know-how and a flurry of startups trying to make it big in the country's saturated tech startup ecosystem. In 2015 Israel generated cyber-security sales worth $4 billion resulting in a whopping 20 per cent of all private sector investment in the booming industry.
Although Finland is in the throes of serious economic malaise, the country's startups are doing their best to ignore dire forecasts and national gloom, pervasive across all sectors.
Israeli finance technology has taken giant leaps in the last few years. Hundreds of local startups are developing new technologies for payment and security solutions, and multinational companies and banks are flocking to Israel for a piece of the action.
By some accounts within the human resources field, most companies' onboarding practices are costly and ineffective. By failing to get new hires settled effectively, businesses face steep turnover rates and retention troubles. It doesn't help that employees usually decide whether they feel welcome in a new organization after a very short period of time.
With a population of 8 million people, Israel has over 6,000 startup companies and attracts more venture capital per person than any other country in the world. The Israeli startup scene extends from the tech hub of Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and all the way to the southern desert city of Beersheba.
These 5 mapping tools are helping startup ecosystems around the globe become better connected Startup maps have become a powerful medium to promote the attractiveness of local tech sectors. Beyond providing a unique and free source of research information, they facilitate networking inside and outside the ecosystems. Some of the maps already serve as effective job marketplaces.
Speech synthesis, commonly known as text-to-speech (TTS), is the artificial production of human speech. Nowadays you can find a number of apps and programs that use a speech synthesizer to provide a text-to-speech service. Perhaps the most famous beneficiary of speech synthesis is the physicist and author Stephen Hawking, who communicates through a speech-generating device.
Programming and coding are arguably the bedrocks of high-tech economies, and now even young children are exposed to this vital skill. Launched in Finland in 2013 by the Helsinki company Reaktor, programming schools are starting to pop up elsewhere in Europe. The latest school, which emulates Reaktor's model, launched in Dusseldorf at the end of August.
Helsinki Think Company, a new initiative that offers meeting space for entrepreneurial-minded students, proves that nurturing tech startups is not a virtual exercise. A new initiative by the University of Helsinki and the City of Helsinki provides students and young people the physical space to meet prospective clients, brainstorm, and organize events.
Internet of Things (IoT) has been "the next big thing" for a while now. Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication empowering computers to collect, analyze and utilize data was going to make everything "smart". Signs of IoT taking over are still few and far between, but if you turn your eyes to the east, a very different picture emerges.
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