Israel invests millions in regional centres to create for new technology

For the first time, Israel's Ministry of Economy and Industry, its Ministry of the Negev, the Galilee and National Resilience, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Regional Cooperation and the Innovation Authority joined together in a programme in which over 100 million Shekels (USD 26 million) will be invested in the establishment of 9 regional innovation centres to encourage entrepreneurship and high-tech employment in the periphery (remote largely low income regions in the country).

The ministries said that the innovation centres will have the aim of "encouraging the germination and growth of new startups with strong regional connectivity and promoting high-tech employment in the region."

The centres will focus on high-tech areas where there is huge global potential while leveraging the relative advantages of the region and of Israel, such as innovative technologies in agriculture (agtech), food (food tech), renewable energy, green construction, water technologies, responding to the challenges of climate change and desertification (climate tech) and health (the tech).

In addition, the centres will work in connection with local anchors to encourage high-tech economic growth in the area of activity, with the help of creating synergy between the various entities operating in the same area and leveraging the existing assets.