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By Itzhak Rabihiya

Three incubators will be established in three regions of Israel’s periphery – Carmiel in the North, the northern Negev and Yeruham in the South – in the fields of industry 4.0, plastics, cleantech, AgriTech, and medical cannabis

Jerusalem – 23 December 2019. The incubators are expected to promote the establishment of 130 startups during the program period, with a budget of up to NIS 1 million per startup. The incubators will support entrepreneurs from concept to market entry through the Israel Innovation Authority’s various support programs. The entrepreneurs will enjoy the support of the incubators and their shareholders in terms of investments, experts from across the value chain, strategic partners, additional investors from Israel and abroad, and access to laboratories, production facilities, pilot programs, and more.

The entrepreneurial incubators will be established in Carmiel in the North, Idan haNegev Industrial Park in the northern Negev and Yeruham in the South as part of the Israel Innovation Authority's Startup Division's program. Three of the bidders selected Yeruham as their location, with the selected franchisee having presented increased connectivity between the shareholders and local innovation anchors as well as increased potential to develop local industry.

The Israel Innovation Authority has selected three franchise holders to establish these three incubators in the periphery: I 4 Valley, Innegev and CANNEGEV. The franchise holders were selected in a competitive process in which twelve diverse, high-quality proposals from throughout the periphery were submitted, setting the bar high. As part of the program, franchises will enjoy support from the Israel Innovation Authority over five years (with an option for a three-year extension period) during which they will assist entrepreneurs and invest in new startups while collaborating with other entities in the incubators’ ecosystem.

I 4 Valley was selected to operate an Industry 4.0 incubator in Carmiel and in the Galilee. The incubator is centered on an outstanding group of industrial entities interested in open innovation together with academia and financial institutions and will incorporate diverse populations that characterize the demographics of the Galilee. Shareholders in the incubator include Wipro Givon, Kusto (Tambour), Keter Plastic, Trellidoor, Flying Cargo and Klil. The incubator will gain significant added value from its shareholders and will work in tandem with academia and industry in the Galilee to promote groundbreaking technological entrepreneurship in advanced industries.

Innegev was selected to operate an incubator in the fields of cleantech, agritech, plastics, and advanced industry in the northern Negev. The incubator is supported by an outstanding array of financial and industrial organizations with experience in technological innovation in their fields of expertise. The incubator will operate from the Idan haNegev Industrial Park and will involve diverse populations characteristic of the area. Shareholders in the incubator include investment firms Alpha Capital and Netafim Holdings Hatzerim and companies like SodaStream, Revel, Netafim, Tami (Israel Chemicals), and Dolav Plastic Products.

Cannegev was selected to operate an incubator in the field of medical cannabis in Yeruham and the northern Negev. The incubator will be supported by investment platform OurCrowd, leading pharmaceutical company Perrigo, and leading medical cannabis company BOL Pharma. This robust, balanced partnership will develop advanced technologies in the field of medical cannabis throughout the value chain. The incubator is connected to an emerging innovation ecosystem, which will contribute to its development and substantiation.

The program to establish incubators in the periphery is intended to encourage local entrepreneurship and create startups with a high chance of expanding and creating quality jobs in the area. The program is intended to develop and strengthen regional innovation ecosystems and promote local enterprise in the periphery through dedicated incubators promoting and enabling technological enterprises, which will conduct research and development leading to commercialization. The incubator’s activities will include formulating and promoting enterprises in the periphery such as those developed by entrepreneurs or students at institutions of higher education, enterprises jointly held by industry and entrepreneurs, and enterprises launched by academic institutions.

Aharon Aharon, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, said: “The incubators will bring significant added value to support technological entrepreneurship in the periphery, whether via entrepreneurs or research institutions, by granting access to their wide network of contacts and potential clients and by using their vast business and technological experience in bringing products to market.

Attached photo credit: Israel Innovation Authority