EIT launches Hub in Tel Aviv, linking European and Israeli innovation ecosystems

EIT Health coordinates this EIT initiative to scale up cooperation in Israel

The EIT launched a new innovation Hub in Tel Aviv yesterday to create greater opportunities for European and Israeli innovators and entrepreneurs. The Hub will strengthen the EIT Community’s activities in Israel and act as a bridge between the European and Israeli innovation ecosystems.

EIT Health is coordinating the Hub, which also involves EIT Climate, EIT Food and EIT Urban Mobility.

More than 200 stakeholders from both the Israeli and European ecosystems – including leading officials and innovators from business, higher education and research – took part in the inauguration event in Tel Aviv.

Jan-Philipp Beck, EIT Health CEO, one of the evening’s speakers, said: “Bringing together Israeli and European innovation is a perfect fit that is long overdue. Israel is an outstanding technological innovation and entrepreneurship powerhouse, and reviving their innovation partnership with Europe provides an excellent opportunity for the European market, with its leading medtech and biotech organisations. Above all, the partnership will ultimately benefit the 500 million Europeans. There are already a lot of existing programmes that we can tap into, and we are also launching specific programmes, such as ‘Disrupt Me’. We want to serve both our communities to create value for our economies, but even more importantly, for our citizens.”

According to Emanuele Giaufret, the EU Ambassador to Israel: “The launch of an EIT Hub in Tel Aviv is yet another indication that European-Israeli cooperation in innovation is on the rise. This comes on top of successful Israeli participation in the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, and the opportunities provided to SMEs. Europe and Israel keep moving closer to each other, in innovation and research, to the benefit of our citizens.”

Nili Shalev, Israel-Europe Research & Innovation Directorate Managing Director, added: “I was delighted to join this event. Israel has been associated to the European Framework Programmes for more than 23 years and launching the EIT hub in the Startup nation marks a significant milestone and a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the research and innovation communities in Europe and in Israel in a wide range of technological fields.”

According to Martin Kern, EIT Director: “The meeting of the EIT as Europe’s largest innovation community with Israel’s vibrant ecosystem is a perfect match. The EIT hub will be a bridge to bring the two together and power entrepreneurs to find solutions to pressing global challenges. Joint activities will include the scaling-up of innovative ventures and entrepreneurial training across Europe and Israel. The EIT helps entrepreneurs to succeed faster.”

Expanding existing cooperation

An innovation and entrepreneurial hotbed with strong participation in the Horizon 2020 programme, Israel had already drawn the interest of EIT Health – who are present in the country through Israeli partner Technion (the Israel Institute of Technology) – and others in the EIT Community, including EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Food and EIT Urban Mobility.

The Hub will expand the EIT Community’s presence and activities in the country, especially in the area of business support and entrepreneurial training, by exchanging know-how, collaborations and peer learning to better support both ecosystems. Activities already under development by the Hub include “Connect & Experience” a programme focused on start-up development training, and “Disrupt Me”, which will bring together companies from Europe and Israel in a deep matchmaking process.