Prof. Raphael Bar El | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award
Professor | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev | Israel
Prof. Raphael Bar El is a distinguished economist and innovation scholar recognized for his extensive contributions to the fields of regional development, innovation policy, and public management. His research focuses on innovation systems, entrepreneurship, and the strategic interplay between economic policy and regional growth. Professor Bar-El has authored and edited several influential books, such as Regional Development and Conflict Management: A Case for Brazil, Desenvolvimento Econômico Regional para a Redução da Pobreza e Desigualdade, Industrialização Rural no Nordeste, and The Economic Development of the Arab Sector in Israel. His academic publications have appeared in leading volumes and journals, addressing topics such as under-investment in innovative enterprises, the spatial distribution of high-tech industries, and socio-economic policy frameworks for conflict regions. Professor Bar-El’s leadership extends beyond academia to public service and international development. He has served as Director of the National and Economic Planning Authority at the Ministry of Economy and Planning and as Director General of the Development Study Center. As the Founder and President of the Israeli Regional Science Association, he has played a pioneering role in advancing regional science and innovation policy in Israel and abroad. His expertise has been sought by numerous international organizations and governments, including the World Bank, UNDP, and various ministries across Latin America, Africa, and Europe, where he has led and advised more than thirty major development and innovation projects. With an academic record comprising 56 documents, 387 citations across 328 publications, and an h-index of 11, Professor Bar-El continues to influence policy thinking and academic discourse on regional innovation and sustainable economic development. His long-standing commitment to integrating theory with practical policy solutions has positioned him as a leading voice in shaping innovation ecosystems and fostering socio-economic growth across diverse regions.
Profiles : Scopus | ORCID | Google Scholar
Featured Publications :
Bar-El, R., Gavious, I., Kaufmann, D., & Schwartz, D. (2017). Under-investments in innovative SMEs: The effect of entrepreneurial cognitive bias. In K. O. Lundvall & P. Nielsen (Eds.), Human capital and assets in the networked world.
Schwartz, D., Avnimelech, G., & Bar-El, R. (2012). The location of knowledge economy and high-tech in Israel. In J. K. Gibson-Graham & G. Roelvink (Eds.), Societies in motion: Innovation, migration and regional transformation.
Bar-El, R. (2014). Economic considerations in implementing a parallel states structure. In M. Cohen & C. Scheindlin (Eds.), One land, two states: Israel and Palestine as parallel states University of California Press.
Bar-El, R., & Co-authors. (2024). Can the periphery survive innovation-led growth? Insights from Israel. Regional Studies, Regional Science.
Bar-El, R., & Co-authors. (2022). Adapting reverse mentoring strategy to SMEs: A new pilot model implemented in Brazil. Sustainability.