As part of the conference, Assaf spoke at the opening seminar on Outward Investment and later participated as a panellist in the session “Barriers to Trade and Investment: A Global Perspective.” The panel explored the challenges and opportunities facing international investors, with a particular focus on Colombia, Finland, India, the United States and Israel.

During the discussion, Assaf addressed the regulatory, economic and operational barriers affecting cross-border investment in Israel, with particular emphasis on the technology and defence sectors. At the same time, he highlighted Israel’s key strengths, including its culture of innovation, highly skilled workforce and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Concluding the panel, Assaf noted:

“Despite the challenges, and particularly in today’s geopolitical environment, Israel continues to be a global leader in innovation. The country offers a unique combination of exceptional human capital, an entrepreneurial culture, and a remarkable ability to adapt and recover quickly. Israel’s complex security, social, cultural and economic reality has fostered an ecosystem that brings together talent, capital and capabilities in a way that encourages innovation and growth. The fact that Israel ranks fourth globally in the number of companies listed on NASDAQ, despite being roughly the size of New Jersey, is a powerful testament to its extraordinary potential.”