Biography
Professor of Economics specializing in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Start-ups, SMEs, and regional and local economic development.
In 2026, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Israel Association for Quality and Innovation, in recognition of her profound contribution to advancing innovation within the Israeli ecosystem.
Currently, she is a professor at Peres Academic Center, heading the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center – PereStart.
Prof. Dafna Schwarz is a rretired pprofessor from Ben-Gurion University (BGU), Faculty of Management, where she initiated and headed the ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ programs (10/1999-10-2017). She led the Bengis Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation – since its establishment in 2000 as the Director and later as the Director & Chairperson. She initiated and headed the Entrepreneurship, Innovation & High-Tech Management track at the Department of Business Administration. She was a member of the Executive Committee of BGU and a Senate representative to the Board of Trustees.
From 10/2017 to 10/2023, she was a professor at Reichman University, a faculty member at the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship, and additionally served as the Director of the Research Authority and was responsible for the implementation and monitoring of intellectual property at Reichman University.
Prior to joining BGU (until 10/1999), she was the CEO (Director General) of the Development Study Center, an institution engaged in research and training activities related to economic and regional development in Israel and developing countries.
Throughout her career, she has been involved in various projects as an economic consultant both in Israel and internationally, working with various entities, including leading organizations such as the EU, the World Bank, industry associations, companies, start-ups, municipalities, and governmental entities in countries including Brazil, Ethiopia, China, India, Guatemala, Kenya, Angola, Paraguay, and Israel.
She has extensive experience as a board member of many leading Israeli corporations. She served as a board member of: Bank Hapoalim, Discount Bank, Strauss Group, Bazan – Oil Refineries, Teva, Rotem Industries, Giron Development and Building, Al-Bad Massuot Yitzhak, Phoenix Insurance Company, Leumi Securities & Investments (formerly Psagot Ofek), the Israel SME Authority, and Inovytec Medical Solutions.
She also has experience as a member of executive committees, including organizations such as Ben Gurion University, the Israeli Camerata of Jerusalem, and others. Currently, she is a member of the executive committee of Educating for Excellence (Hinuch LePsagot).
Over the years, she has been a member of many professional committees in Israel and abroad. Among others, she has served as a member of the judging committee of the Ministry of Defense for Innovation (2024,2025), the judging committee for the Commissioner of Prisons Service Award for Innovation (2022,2023,2024,2025), the judging committee of the Chief of Staff Award for Innovation (2020,2022), the Prime Minister’s Award for Entrepreneurship, and a panel of experts of the European Commission on “Research Policy for Entrepreneurship and SMEs,” and more.
In 2011, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the Israeli economy for the year 2011 by the Israeli economic newspaper TheMarker, in 1996 as a “Globes Career Woman of 1996” in the field of economics, and in 2014 as an honorary member of ACS – Cearense Academy of Science, Brazil.
She received a B.A. in Economics from Tel Aviv University, an M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics and Management from the Hebrew University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Hebrew University. She was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University (summer of 1991).
She has numerous publications, including authored and edited books, peer-reviewed articles, and presentations at scientific and professional conferences.