Dark news was coming out of Israel on the morning of November 15. But in a talk that morning at MIT, Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem, painted a bright picture of the city’s future. Barkat—whose name, incidentally, means “light”—argues that Jerusalem’s “brand name” has been building for over 3,000 years.
As a panelist at the talk, which was co-sponsored by the Broad Institute, the Research Lab on Electronics, and the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, I was fascinated to hear Barkat’s vision, which is informed in part by his own experiences as a successful entrepreneur. The vision rests on investments in infrastructure but also on a balanced, dual-track approach to entrepreneurship, which he and others hope will lead to economic development and stability. The two pillars he laid out are (1) culture and tourism and (2) life sciences.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Does Jerusalem Have What It Takes to Build A Life Sciences Cluster? | Xconomy
