Environmentally clean technology was the buzz at the most recent CleanIsrael event, which focused on the transition that many military veterans and serial entrepreneurs have made from high-tech to cleantech.

The event was attended by ex-fatigues-wearers, dollar-bill-bearers and environmentally-sensitive ex-high-techers – about 140 in all – in a charming location off the Glilot interchange called Hakfar Hayarok and green was certainly the color of the buzz.

The morning kicked off outside in the grassy reception area with some refreshments, a fair deal of handshaking and plenty of card swapping, before we gathered inside to hear the panel and ensuing discussion.

The role that IDF veterans played in the making of the Israeli high-tech success story has become almost scripture. But the subject at hand was the emerging trend of the former making a transition into the cleantech sector. This is perhaps a less obvious phenomenon; after all, we have not yet seen the latest Israeli Merkava tank come with a solar powered electronics system and fueled by used cooking oil from the mess hall.

Sarcasm aside, in light of the elements which influenced the success of Israel’s high-tech sector, it is fair to say that the subject on the agenda has more significance than merely academic interest. The two primary factors which contributed to the exceptional growth rate of the Israeli hightech industry in the early nineties were, first, the military veterans who developed and utilized advanced technologies for military purposes and who upon release were absorbed into the private sector and second, Israel’s skilled work force, considered one of the most educated and entrepreneurial in the world. Understanding the driving forces behind the shift into cleantech gives insight as to how the sector will develop in Israel and what factors must be considered by the policy makers, market leaders and investors in order to ensure success.

The panel, moderated by Meir Ukeles of Israel Cleantech Ventures, was comprised of hightech and military veterans Yom Tov Samia Director of IC Green Energy; Gonen Fink, Co-Founder and CEO of Pythagoras Solar; Elad Frenkel, CEO of Aqwise; and Avner Cohen, CEO and Co-founder of Greenlet Technologies, several of whom served in Israel’s intelligence units and, later, gained executive and private sector experience in hightech.

They all seemed to agree that the skills set they acquired during their military service is what gave them the advantage in order to succeed.  Gonen Fink, who spent twelve years as Vice President of Products and Solutions & Strategy at Check Point prior to founding Pythagoras Solar commented that though not technological, his military service developed his abilities in systems management, analysis and seeing where things are going.  “At the age of twenty, the military makes you responsible for managing multi-million dollar systems and tens or hundreds of soldiers” panel member Elad Frankel pointed out, “This is an important basis for Israeli management.”

But not all agree that the high-tech elite will be the heroes of this story.  The CEO of a leading contingency placement firm in Israel deeply involved in the renewable technologies arena tends to believe that this is not going to be a replay of what we saw in hightech. “There are some very significant differences in the nature of the two sectors” he points out.

Unlike hightech, the cleantech sector requires professions which range from the classic hightech white-collar developers and programmers through green-collar engineers and architects to the blue-collar installers, plumbers and electricians. “Most fields within the cleantech sector are much more multi-disciplinary then their dominantly niche hightech counterparts” he explains.  Potential students, take note.

In addition to the security implications that alternative energy solutions have in weaning Israel and the West off fossil fuels, discussions also raised perhaps the most obvious and important reason to move into cleantech development – the sense of mission in contributing to the improvement of the planet.  After conversing with many of Wednesday’s participants I could not help but be impressed by the visions of necessary changes and the determination to lead toward this goal. Perhaps, after all, it is these traits which are the most dominant common characteristic amongst those transitioning into cleantech.

As one participant, a CEO of an early stage water company in the field of desalination put it: “The cleantech sector is in its emerging stage and is attractive for entrepreneurs who like to start revolutions rather than joining them.” One business development professional, when asked why he chose cleantech, said “just look around you at planet earth.”  I looked and I’ll certainly keep on watching, this will be the most exciting thing happening in the next decade.