The Israel Innovation Authority has announced a collaboration with several key government ministries to invest more than NIS 100 million to establish nine regional innovation centers across the country.The initiative, spanning from the north to the south of the country, aims to encourage the emergence and growth of new start-ups with strong regional ties, advancing hi-tech employment in selected areas. It includes a competitive process that selected nine locations, involving a mix of Israeli and international corporations, investors, regional clusters, and associations to operate the innovation centers.These innovation hubs will focus on key areas within the hi-tech sector, including ag-tech, food-tech, renewable energy, green construction, water technologies, climate-tech, and health-tech. The centers will collaborate with local entities to stimulate economic growth in the selected regions, fostering synergy among various entities operating in the same area.
Each innovation hub will receive a grant of up to NIS 15 million over five years. The centers will play a pivotal role in initiatives such as technological entrepreneurship, acceleration of local projects, attraction of new employers in the hi-tech sector, and promotion of high-quality employment through practical training and internships.
The selected innovation centers, including Galileo Studio Ventures, SeaNovation Eilat, Built Environment Innovation Center, Northern Climate Synergy, Techlinic, DAROM Innovation Center, Technological Center for Security and Resilience in the Western Negev, DesertTech and Climate Innovation Center, and INNOVEASTECH, will work collaboratively with local players to encourage hi-tech growth in the respective regions.
Why diversity in industry is important
Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, emphasized the importance of diversity in technology, industry, geography, and demographics as a key component of their strategy to strengthen Israeli hi-tech competitiveness globally.“The centers selected in the national competitive process, among dozens of excellent proposals, and in unprecedented cooperation with various government ministries, will enable the expansion of the entrepreneurship cycle and the employment of hi-tech throughout the country and across all sectors, while demonstrating Israeli resilience and the ability to continue innovating, creating new growth engines for the Israeli economy,” he said.The timing of this initiative, launched amid the current conflict, amplifies the significance of the government’s commitment to the hi-tech sector. While the plan may have been in motion before the outbreak of hostilities in October, its continued implementation during the conflict underscores the perceived importance of the hi-tech sector as a key driver of economic stability and growth.Although the conflict has undoubtedly placed strains on the Israeli economy, the government’s dedication to advancing the hi-tech sector showcases a strategic approach to mitigate economic impacts and ensure long-term resilience. The establishment of these innovation centers stands as a testament to Israel’s unwavering belief in the power of innovation and technology to drive prosperity, even amid adversity.Minister of Innovation and Science, Ofir Akunis, highlighted the importance of the innovation centers coming to fruition amid current events.“The significance of establishing innovation centers is particularly crucial at this time. Israel’s advantages in science and technology are harnessed to promote a better humanity, while our hostile enemies surround us, embracing the opposite.“Innovation centers will spread across diverse regions throughout the country, from Kiryat Shmona, through the Gaza border region, to Eilat,” he said. “They reflect the beautiful face of Israeli society as a whole, now reaching its ultimate pride and readiness for the new peaks that will come forth at the end of the war.”