Elon Musk: Israel is ‘number one’ for innovation per capita
Tesla founder praises Israeli tech and AI sector in message to the Smart Mobility Summit, which took place in Tel Aviv this week
Billionaire Elon Musk has described Israel as “by far number one in the world” for innovation per capita, in a video address delivered to the Samson International Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv this week.
The Tesla and SpaceX founder had originally been expected to attend the summit in person but instead sent a recorded message to delegates at the annual transport and technology conference, which took place at Expo Tel Aviv on Sunday.
During the address, Musk praised Israel’s contribution to global innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence, mobility and deep-tech sectors.
“I’m a huge admirer of the innovation coming out of Israel,” Musk said. “Innovation per capita, Israel is by far number one in the world.”
He added that Israel “punches far above its weight” technologically and highlighted the country’s strength in engineering and entrepreneurship.
Musk also reiterated Tesla’s interest in autonomous driving technology and suggested Israel could play an important role in the future development of AI-powered transport systems.
The comments were warmly received by Israeli political and business leaders, who have increasingly sought to position Israel as a global innovation hub despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty linked to the war in Gaza.
The summit brought together international transport, AI and mobility executives, alongside Israeli start-ups and government representatives, to discuss the future of smart transport and autonomous technologies.
Musk’s remarks are likely to attract particular attention given his complicated relationship in recent years with Jewish organisations and concerns over antisemitism on his social media platform X following October 7.
However, his latest comments were seen by many in Israel’s tech sector as a strong endorsement of the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and continued importance in global innovation.
Tesla has long explored opportunities connected to the Israeli market, particularly around autonomous driving systems, cybersecurity and AI-related technologies.
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