New environmental protection and sustainability innovation lab

Innovating for the Environment: The Israel Innovation Authority, the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry will support the establishment of a new technological innovation lab specializing in environmental protection and sustainability with NIS 14 million

Corporations are called upon to submit proposals in a competitive process for the establishment and operation of a technological innovation lab

Anya Eldan, VP of the Israel Innovation Authority and Head of the Startup Division: “Our vision is that the innovation lab will develop into an entire ecosystem of unique startups, investors, and Israeli and multinational companies that will help implement innovative technologies and impact the lab with their vast experience in the industry.”

Galit Cohen, Senior VP of Planning, Policy and Strategy at the Ministry of Environmental Protection: “The Innovation Lab project is designed to promote early enterprises and is a significant and additional layer to the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s work in promoting Israeli environmental technologies and supporting commercial proofs of concept of mature projects. The lab will also give traditional industries access to innovative environmental technologies that can be implemented to improve Israel’s environmental performance.”

Oz Katz, Head of the Industries Administration at the Ministry of Economy and Industry: “The Ministry of Economy and Industry promotes environmental and emerging industries through numerous assistance programs – this lab being one of them. Achieving environmental sustainability goals has massive economic potential, including higher rates of productivity and industrial innovation. The lab will promote more sustainable manufacturing processes and implement innovative methods that solve industry-based environmental requirements.”

February 7, 2019 – Jerusalem – The Israel Innovation Authority, the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry have embarked on a new initiative to support the establishment of a new technological innovation lab that will specialize in the fields of environmental protection and sustainability. The corporations that will establish the laboratory will receive funding to build out a unique technological infrastructure and ongoing lab operations, as well as financing for participating startups to create their “proof of concept.” The overall government investment in the program stands at NIS 14 million.

Israeli and foreign corporations interested in exploring open innovation in such an innovation lab, and that wish to bolster Israel’s unique tech ecosystem, are invited to submit proposals. The innovation laboratory will be established and operated by those corporations that win a competitive tender to run the lab for a three-year period. Under this model, the lab will scout for startups in the fields of environmental protection and sustainability and support their proof of concept projects. This involves providing startups with access to technological infrastructure, assisting them in determining their product’s commercial viability, supporting project execution, opening marketing channels, exposing them to know-how and expertise, and creating connections with investors, partners, and corporate clients.

The cooperation between the entrepreneurial community and industry will improve the competitive performance of these startups and the cleantech ecosystem in Israel. The lab will also serve as a broad platform for cooperation between industry and academia and serve as a source of growth and strategic development for participating companies.

Companies that win the tender to operate the labs will receive financial support of 33% of the cost of setting up technological infrastructure (50% if the lab is established in peripheral areas), at a maximum of NIS 4 million, as well as financial support of 50% of the costs of ongoing lab operations, at a maximum of NIS 500,000 per year over the course of three years – with no requirements for financial investment in the startups accepted to the lab.
Companies selected to participate in the lab will be eligible for financial support of up to 85% of the approved project’s budget up to a maximum of NIS 1 million and for up to a one-year operational term.

The new lab will be part of the Israel Innovation Authority’s existing innovation labs program, operating via incentive track number 29 – which, since its launch in 2017, has already established five technological innovation labs, all active today. Under the framework of this program, the Israel Innovation Authority is launching a competitive process to establish a new innovation lab for which the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection will provide data, information, and regulatory assistance to the new lab.

The current initiative is part of an Environmental Protection Ministry program started in 2018, when the ministry and the Israel Innovation Authority joined forces to create pilot programs to support Israeli environmental technologies ripe for commercial application on an industrial scale.

The Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry seeks to leverage opportunities created by environmental regulations by developing new industrial technologies that improve productivity while reducing pollution, according to existing regulations. Priority will be given to a technological innovation lab in the field of environmental protection and sustainability that provides solutions for processing and manufacturing industries with high pollution rates and in proximity to population centers.