Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) founder and CEO Michael Dell may soon decide to expand the company's operations in Israel. Dell today met President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and Peres invited him to set up an R&D and business center in Jerusalem that will focus on interactive learning methods.
Dell told Peres, "Mr. President, I pick up the gauntlet."
Dell and Peres agreed that the President's office will submit to Dell a list of the Israeli companies in the sector, and Dell will then examine how to promote the idea.
One of Dell's largest recent projects is the computerization of classrooms in Mexico at a cost of $800 million. Dell has expressed interest in running similar projects in other countries. Peres told Dell, "I invite you to set up a world-class laboratory in this field in Jerusalem. Israel has leading companies in the computer peripherals industry."
Peres added that, during Operation Cast Lead earlier this month, schoolchildren in the south used interactive studies because Hamas rockets fired from Gaza forced schools within range to be closed.
Peres is one of the stars at Davos. Among other things, he is participating in a panel on the capitalist market together with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and HSBC chairman Stephen Green.
Peres will also hold a series of meetings with political and business leaders, especially of investment funds, with the goal of setting up binational foundations, which will receive funding from Israel's Office of the Chief Scientist and matching funds from the other country.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 29, 2009
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