Is Lebanon technologically ready to tackle growth?

In March 2017, The Economist reported that Intel, the giant American chipmaker, paid $15.3 billion for Mobileye, an Israeli firm at the forefront of developing autonomous-car technology. The deal was not the first to involve an Israeli tech firm attracting foreign buyers, but it was the biggest yet. The Mobileye acquisition is an example of how Israel’s technological edge has strengthened its economy, and a reminder of the crucial role that technology and production efficiency play in the growth process of any economy today. Of course, very few countries have the necessary elements to create an edge in technology—especially if they are a developing country, and more so if they go through recurrent political instability. Lebanon is generally known to have an educated workforce, and during the postwar rebuilding period it benefited from considerable capital accumulation. But it has also been subject to political setbacks that have sapped its energies.