Dr. Lt. Col. (Res.) David Alkaher
Research Fellow, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Reichman University; CEO, Innovation 4 Transformation; Former Commander, IDF Innovation College
Dr. Lt. Col. (Res.) David Alkaher, Ph.D., is the CEO and Founder of Innovation 4 Transformation (I4T), a leading consultancy firm focused on harnessing innovation to drive transformative change in organizations. He also serves as a senior consultant to the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, where he leads Israel’s first National Innovation and Excellence Award Competition, in partnership with the ISQ Israeli Association for Quality & Innovation.
Prior to his current role, Dr. Alkaher served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) where he was the Commander of the Defense College for Innovation, Intrapreneurship, and Transformation under the Combat Methods and Innovation Division, J8. In this role, he founded the college as well as the Innovation and Corporate Defense Transformation Research Institute, commanded the General-Staff Excellence and Leadership Program including an MBA program specializing in innovation management and intrapreneurship, and led the IDF’s overall innovation strategy. Before this, he served as Head of CTO and Innovation at Electronic and IT Base 108 of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), where he founded the first IDF innovation center and incubation program, spearheaded intrapreneurial deep-tech initiatives in fields such as drones, robotics, simulators, IoT, electronic warfare, AI, and BI, and led rapid force design strategies for the IAF. Dr. Alkaher also held several positions in the Systems Engineering Department of the IAF: Head of Integrated Simulators and Training Systems, where he led development and maintenance of seven different training platforms; and Head of Interoperability and IT Technologies, where he helped establish the C4I branch, managed interoperability infrastructure development, and led doctrines on NCW (network-centric warfare) monitoring and control. Earlier in his career, he served as Section Commander of the Operational NCW Center at the Central Control Unit of the IAF and as Head of Missiles & Munitions at the IMOD Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), managing large-scale R&D and international collaborations including the Israeli weapon integration partnership for the F-35 program.
Dr. Alkaher’s areas of specialization include innovation management, strategy, intrapreneurship, system engineering, military technological leadership, and counter-terrorism through technological innovation. Over 20 years of professional experience, he has led more than 50 operationally and technologically complex initiatives across defense, civil, and private sectors, overseeing budgets ranging from $500,000 to $100 million, managing over 1,300 personnel, and coordinating international partnerships with major defense and technology firms. His expertise spans AI governance, national innovation policies, intrapreneurial program design, network-centric warfare doctrines, and military and civilian resilience through innovation. He has contributed significantly to setting and implementing R&D and innovation policies for the IDF, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, and other governmental and municipal agencies.
Dr. Alkaher holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Tel Aviv University, with a dissertation on “Pareto-based Safe Aerial Navigation in the Presence of Medium-Range Energy Bleeding Missile.” He also earned an M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, both from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He completed a Post-Doctorate in Government and Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University, specializing in the application of AI and innovation to complex geopolitical conflicts.
In addition to his professional roles, Dr. Alkaher has made substantial contributions to academia. He served as the Defense Sector Executive Director of Academic Programs at Ben-Gurion University in 2024, a Senior Editor and Board Member of the Journal of Military Studies, and designed and supervised academic courses at the Open University of Israel and the IDF Innovation College. These include subjects such as entrepreneurship fundamentals, system engineering, lean startup management, and innovation leadership.
Dr. Alkaher has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics; Studies in Conflict and Terrorism; Global Security: Health, Science and Policy; and the Journal of Military Studies. His notable books include The Warlord’s Guide to Mastering Strategic Leadership (2024), Alchemy – Innovation for Transformation (2022), and Decision Support System for Medium Range Air Combats (2017). His research focuses on military innovation strategies, decision support systems, counter-terrorism innovation, and AI applications in geopolitical complexity.
