Israel Innovation Authority
רשות החדשנות
Rashut HaHadshanut
Israel Innovation Authority
Organization overview
Formed1965 (1965) (as the Office of the Chief Scientist)
2016 (2016) (as the Israel Innovation Authority)
Preceding Organization
  • Office of the Chief Scientist
TypeGovernment Agency
HeadquartersJerusalem Technology Park, Derech Agudat Sport Ha'poel 2, Jerusalem 9695102
Employees140
Organization executives
Parent OrganizationMinistry of Economy
Websitehttps://innovationisrael.org.il/english

The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) is the support arm of the Israeli government, charged with fostering the development of industrial research and development in the State of Israel. Until 2016, the IIA was known as the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) (Hebrew: לשכת המדען הראשי, romanized: lishkat Ha-madʿan ha-rashi) of Israel's Ministry of Economy.

A variety of ongoing support programs offered by the Authority provide financial and developmental resources for entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes and stages within Israel. Funds and support programs include: Tnufa Program (Ideation),[1] the Technological Incubator Program,[2] The R&D Fund,[3] Technology Transfer Program[4] and Applied Research in Academia Programs.[5]

The Authority is also responsible for Iserd[6][7] management within the European Union Framework, as well as international R&D agreements and partnerships with countries such as USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and more.[8]

The Israel Innovation Authority offices are located in the Jerusalem Technology Park, in the Malha neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Israel Innovation Authority offices in the Jerusalem Technology Park

History

Fabio Faria visit to Israel Innovation Authority, March 2022

The Office of the Chief Scientist was established in 1965. It was renamed the Israel Innovation Authority in 2016. The main aim of the Authority is to increase economic empowerment within the civilian sector of the Israeli economy. Main activities include the funding of R&D and policy-making within its sphere of influence. The development and prominence of the OCS was further strengthened by the development of the venture capital industry within Israel in the 1990s.

The mission[9] of the Authority has been defined through the country's "Law for the Encouragement of Industrial Research and Development—1984" (The R&D Law) and its operations are facilitated through Israel's R&D Fund, as well as a variety of international programs, agreements and collaborations. Its mission is to assist the advancement of Israel's knowledge-based science and technology industries in order to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship while stimulating economic growth.

Legal aspects of agreements which may include R&D funding, as well as royalties, are governed under the Regulatory Framework of the Authority.[10]

According to the Israel Innovation Authority, 54 percent of Israel's exports are high-tech products and services.[11]

In 2022 the Israel Innovation Authority led a delegation of Israeli startups fighting the Climate crisis, to the UN Climate Conference at Sharm el-Sheikh (COP27).[12]

In October 2023, The Israel Innovation Authority announced a 100m NIS matching fund for startup companies encountering difficulties because of the outbreak of 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[13] Later on the amount was increased to 400m NIS.[14]

Programs

Technological incubators

The Technological Incubators Incentive Program was established in 1991 and is designed for entrepreneurs, interested in establishing a startup company based on an innovative technological concept. In addition to funding, the technological incubator offers a supportive framework for the establishment of a company and development of a concept into a commercial product, providing technological, business and administrative support. Incubators are selected through competitive processes for a license period of up to five years and are spread across Israel in sectors such as Medical Devices, Pharma, Bioconvergence, Agricultural technology, Foodtech, Renewable Energy and more. In any time, there are about 15 active incubators[15][16] in Israel. Startups in the Incubators Program typically receive a join public-private budget of up to 5 million Shekels.[17]

Magnet

The Magnet Program was established in 1994, and manages the partnership between academic and commercial R&D programs. Significant activities include facilitation of the transfer of knowledge between academia and commercial R&D companies. Under the auspices of the Magnet Program,[18] the NOFAR[19] program was established to provide support and funding in the field of biotechnology, nanotechnology and development of medical equipment.

Diversity

The Israel Innovation Authority are also working to expand the variety of the Israeli high-tech on three different aspects – thematic (disciplinary), demographic, and geographic, launching a variety of programs for high-tech employment and entrepreneurship among underrepresented social groups such as women, Israeli Arabs[20] and Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim), as well as training programs in advanced and emerging technological fields that require additional human capital.

Chief scientists and CEOs

The following is a list of Chief Scientists of the Ministry of Economy (1965-2016).

NameTerm
Prof. (Brigadier General) Yitzchak Yaakov1969–1977
Prof. Arie Lavie1977–1983
Yigal Erlich1984–1992
Dr. Yehoshua (Shuki) Gleitman1993–1996
Dr. Orna Berry1997–2000
Carmel Vernia2000–2002
Dr. Eli Opper2002–2010
Avi Hasson2011–2016
Amiram Applebaum2016-2023

The following is a list of CEOs of the Israel Innovation Authority (since 2016).

NameTerm
Aharon Aharon 2017–2021
Dror Bin 2021–Present

References

  1. ↑ "Ideation (Tnufa) Incentive Program". Israel Innovation. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  2. ↑ "Breadcrumb Technological Innovation Incubators Program". Israel Innovation Authority.
  3. ↑ "R&D Fund". Israel Innovation. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  4. ↑ "Technology Transfer". Israel Innovation. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  5. ↑ "Promoting Applied Research in Academia - NOFAR, KAMIN". Israel Innovation. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  6. ↑ "ISERD – The Israel-Europe R&D Directorate for EU FP". EraWatch. Archived from the original on 2015-02-11.
  7. ↑ "ISERD - Official Website".
  8. ↑ "Breadcrumb International Collaborations". Israel Innovation Authority.
  9. ↑ "Strategy and Policy". Israel Innovation. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  10. ↑ Gil, Naama; Tepper, Raz (Jan 2014). "Underlying Legal and Regulatory Framework of Office of the Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of the Economy". FBC Lawyers.
  11. ↑ Tech Leaders in Israel Wonder if It’s Time to Leave, New York Times
  12. ↑ Garden, Leah. "ISRAELI INNOVATORS WORKING ON SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE CRISIS". Israel21.
  13. ↑ Globes correspondent. "Innovation Authority announces special aid for startups". Globes.
  14. ↑ ZACHY HENNESSEY. "Finance Minister bolsters IIA's tech innovation funding fourfold amidst crisis". Jerusalem Post.
  15. ↑ "Incubators List". Israel Innovation Authority – רשות החדשנות (in Hebrew). 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  16. ↑ "Entrepreneurship Incubators in the Periphery". Israel Innovation Authority – רשות החדשנות (in Hebrew). 2020-06-28. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  17. ↑ "Breadcrumb Technological Innovation Incubators Program". Israel Innovation Authority.
  18. ↑ "Magnet Program - PDF". Archived from the original on 2015-02-11.
  19. ↑ "NOFAR Program for applied academic research in Bio-technology and Nano-technology". Technion.
  20. ↑ Hennessy, Zachy. "20 million shekels in funding goes toward Arab, hi-tech integration". Jerusalem Post.
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