Fueled by a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, robust technological infrastructure and highly skilled human workforce that produces the most substantial number of startups per capita in the world, innovation is one of Israel’s most valuable natural resources. At the same time, Israel is today home to over 500 R&D centers of multinational corporations, many of them Fortune 500 companies, illustrating Israel’s profound and disproportionate impact on the advancement of global innovation as well.
The Israel Innovation Authority, responsible for the country’s innovation policy, is an independent and impartial statutory public entity that operates for the benefit of the Israeli innovation ecosystem and Israeli economy as a whole. Its mission is to invest in innovation in order to promote sustainable and inclusive growth.
The Authority functions as an enabler with all things related to the Israeli innovation ecosystem. It provides conditional grants to support disruptive technological innovations as well as engaged in creating the groundwork and infrastructure to prepare for future technologies in order to maintain both technological and economical leadership as well as improve productivity and global competitiveness of the Israeli economy.
Innovation is by far the most valuable resource for the State of Israel, serving as a national asset crucial to economic prosperity. Israel Innovation Authority seeks to further develop and support technological innovation in Israel through various support tools. Its mission is to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and disruptive technologies as leverage for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
With deep knowledge and understanding of the unique challenges facing Israeli companies and entrepreneurs, the Israel Innovation Authority provides a variety of practical tools and funding platforms aimed at addressing the dynamic and changing needs of the local and international innovation ecosystems. It provides conditional grants to support disruptive technological innovations as well as engaged in creating the groundwork and infrastructure to prepare for future technologies in order to maintain both technological and economic leadership as well as improve productivity and global competitiveness of the Israeli economy.
These divisions include:
Startup Division
he Startup Division offers unique tools to support the early developmental stages of technological initiatives at the pre-seed or initial R&D stages, thus helping transform their ideas into reality while reaching significant funding milestones.
Division programs include:
Growth and Advanced Manufacturing Division
The Growth Division operates a wide range of incentive programs that assist hi-tech companies in the sales growth stage as well as mature hi-tech companies that utilize growth channels based on technological innovation and/or seek assistance in funding innovative research and development.
Division programs include:
- Incentive Program to Encourage the Establishment of Multinational Companies’ R&D Centers in the Fields of Biotechnology and Health
- Incentive Programs for Innovation with Government Entities
- Generic R&D Incentive Program for Large Companies
- R&D Fund
- R&D Preparatory Incentive Program for Companies in the Manufacturing Industry
- MOFET – R&D in the Manufacturing Industry
Technological Infrastructure
The Technological Infrastructure Division focuses on funding applied R&D infrastructure, promoting applied research in academia, technology transfer, Leveraging R&D for Dual Use Technologies, exchange of knowledge and experience and developing of groundbreaking innovation by an integrated group of researchers from academia and industry.
Division programs include:
- TELEM (The National Infrastructure Forum for Research and Development)
- Leveraging R&D for Dual Use Technologies – MEIMAD
- Applied Research in Academia
- Knowledge Commercialization
- MAGNET Consortiums
- Users’ Association R&D Infrastructure
- Promoting Applied Research in Academia
- Infrastructure and Equipment
International Collaboration
The International Collaboration Division is responsible for coordinating international collaboration in innovative R&D knowledge and technology between Israeli companies and counterpart organizations abroad, thus offering various competitive advantages for the Israeli industry in the global market.
Operated by the Europe, Americas and Asia Pacific Desks, as well as the desk for multinational corporations, support for such strategic alliances is made possible through an array of bilateral cooperation agreements and bi-national funds, as well as through the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
Division programs include:
- Bilateral Programs for Parallel Support
- R&D Cooperation with Multinational Corporations
- EU Framework Agreements – Horizon Europe
- Program for Boosting Participation of Israeli Companies in the European Frameworks Program – Horizon Europe
- Incentive Program for Adapting Products for Emerging Markets
- Bi-national Funds