Raised in a large religious family, Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman now stands at the forefront of Israel's defense industry; he discusses scientific breakthroughs, global challenges, Rafael's patriotic workforce and why an IPO is key to growthynet|At the heart of Israel’s changing security landscape, Rafael stands not merely as a defense company but as a vibrant national laboratory. Its essence, CEO Yoav Tourgeman explains, is to provide a qualitative edge on the battlefield through scientific depth. Accordingly, the company invests sums in independent research and development equal to its entire annual profit, and sometimes even more.“This agenda reflects Rafael’s history. It was founded as the Science Corps, or HEMED, as a national laboratory. Our ties with academia, particularly the Technion, are close. We have hundreds of students working here, and the proportion of employees with doctorates is the highest in the industry. We believe science must be based on pure research, not only applied technology. That is what allows us to keep surprising our enemies time and again.”GalleryRafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman (Photo: Sivan Farag)Tourgeman, 64, has headed Rafael for about two and a half years, bringing to the position not only extensive management experience but also a deeply patriotic worldview.“Rafael is a vertically integrated company. We operate across every layer of the technological spectrum, from energetic raw materials to systems in space. The knowledge base here is broader than anywhere else. Rafael is not just a high-tech and defense company. It is a kind of research institute with a free-thinking spirit that is far more pronounced than in conventional defense industries.”One of your most talked-about systems is Iron Beam, the high-power laser system. The public hears a great deal about it, but it is still not perceived as a dominant force on the battlefield. When will that happen?