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Europe's largest innovation community is coming to Israel

EIT Hub Israel

Official launch of new European Hub in Tel Aviv

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The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) launched a new innovation Hub in Tel Aviv to create new opportunities for European and Israeli innovators and entrepreneurs. As Europe’s innovation engine, the EIT is integrating business, education and research organisations in dynamic pan-European partnerships. This hub will strengthen the EIT Community’s activities in Israel and act as a bridge between the European and Israeli innovation ecosystems. It will support the EIT Community in delivering a greener, healthier and more sustainable planet.

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Over 200 stakeholders from both the Israeli and European ecosystems took part in the opening event yesterday evening, including Emanuele Giaufret (EU Ambassador to Israel), Nili Shalev (Israel-Europe Research & Innovation Directorate Managing Director), Rolf Nagel (Member of the EIT Governing Board) and innovators from business, higher education and research.

EU Ambassador to Israel, Emanuele Giaufret, said: ‘The launch of an EIT hub in Tel Aviv is yet another indication that European-Israeli cooperation in innovation is on the rise. This 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’.  

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Nili Shalev, Israel-Europe Research & Innovation Directorate Managing Director, commented: ‘I was delighted to join this event. Israel has been associated with the European Framework Programmes for more than 23 years. 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.’

Martin Kern, EIT Director, added: ‘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.

Israeli entrepreneurs need to scale globally to create impact and stay competitive. The EIT Community provides invaluable targeted support for this and I’m thrilled that this Hub will help connect the thriving Israeli ecosystem with Europe’, added Eshcar Ben Shitrit, CEO of Redefine Meat, supported by EIT Food and winner of the 2018 EIT Food Accelerator Network Programme.

Over the years, the EU and Israel partnership has strengthened Israeli academic and industrial excellence, led to investment in research infrastructure and enabled long-term, innovative research. The activities of the newly established EIT Hub in Tel Aviv will complement existing EIT Community activities in Israel. These will scale in 2020 through increased support to innovators from EIT Health (leading the development of the EIT Hub), 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, collaboration and peer learning to better support both ecosystems. This includes ‘Connect & Experience’ that will focus on start-up development training. The Hub will also serve as a platform of mutual learning between European and Israeli innovators, helping them turn new ideas into innovative products and services. The programme ‘Disrupt Me’ will, for example, bring together companies from Europe and Israel in a deep matchmaking process.

Photos of the event can be found on our Flickr page

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