Innovation Authority to invest NIS 25 million to create Be'er Sheva innovation center
Innovation Authority to invest NIS 25 million to create Be'er Sheva innovation center
As part of the center's establishment, three innovation sites will also be established in Be'er Sheva in the fields of medical data, autonomous robotics and cyber defense
The Israel Innovation Authority announced it has chosen Synergy 7 to establish an innovation center in Be'er Sheva, over a period of more than four years, during which the Authority will invest NIS 25 million ($7 million) to promote the innovation and high-tech ecosystem in the city as a metropolitan center for the entire southern region. As part of the center's establishment, three innovation sites will also be established in Be'er Sheva in the fields of medical data, autonomous robotics and cyber defense.
The Synergy 7 company is jointly owned by Ben Gurion University of the Negev, B.G. Negev Technologies and Applications, Soroka Medical University Center of the Clalit Group, Mor Research Implementation, Elbit Systems, Incubit Technological Entrepreneurship, and the Mirage Israel Foundation. In addition, Dell Technologies' development center in Israel is a strategic partner of the project.
The innovation center, which will be established in the new innovation district in the city, will include dedicated laboratories with the most advanced equipment in the world that will allow entrepreneurs and high-tech companies from around the country to gain practical experience, dedicated workspaces and acceleration programs (accelerators) that will meet the needs of entrepreneurs from the southern region, including diverse and underrepresented populations such as minorities and women. The entrepreneurs and startup companies that will choose to operate in Be'er Sheva will benefit from access to mentors and advisors from various fields as well as from investments and dedicated grants, personnel training, events featuring key players in the innovation ecosystem, and support for participation in conferences in Israel and abroad. The program is also intended to create an infrastructure to attract large high-tech companies to operate in the city of Be’er Sheva.
"We are very excited to implement one of the most important projects in recent years to promote the geographical diversity of Israeli high-tech," Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority said. "Be'er Sheva has great potential to grow into a significant technological hub and a magnet for entrepreneurs, startups and growing high-tech companies. The center is expected to help diversify and strengthen the position of Israeli high-tech in the world and will catapult Be’er Sheva and the Negev region forward."