Professor (Emeritus) Manuel Trajtenberg became the Executive Director of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in May 2021. He joined the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at Tel Aviv University in 1984, after obtaining his Ph.D. at Harvard University. He is regarded as one of the world leading experts in the field of R&D, patents, innovation, and economic growth. Prof. Trajtenberg held senior positions in the public sector: founder and first chairman of the National Economic Council at the Prime Minister’s Office (2006-9); chairman of the Budgeting and Planning Committee of the Council for Higher Education (2009-14); chairman of the government Committee for Social and Economic Change (the “Trajtenberg Committee”) following the mass social protests of 2011; and member of Knesset (2015-17). Prof. Trajtenberg subsequently led the “100 days” project at the Samuel Neaman Institute at the Technion, addressing key economic and social issues such as fiscal and tax policies, the transportation crisis, early childhood education, the funding of the health system, and more. He also has much experience with security issues: he served for many years as an expert reservist in Mafat, the Directorate for Defense R&D; initiated and served as key member of the Brodet Committee for the Defense Budget following the Second Lebanon War; was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Rafael during the development of the Iron Dome anti-missile system; was a member of the forum that created the National Cyber Directorate; was a member of the Knesset committee for the defense budget; and more. Professor Trajtenberg is married to Dr. Nadine Trajtenberg, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Israel; they have three daughters and four grandchildren.