The Israel Innovation Authority’s “Technological Innovation Labs” Program has selected the five franchise holders which will operate the labs for a period of three years. The five are Renault-Nissan Alliance, Merck-Flex, Enel-Shikun & Binui, Ham-Let and Frutarom.
The labs, funded by the Israel Innovation Authority, will provide technological infrastructure and knowhow to entrepreneurs to establish their proof of concept and to Enable the Creation of Innovative Ecosystems in a Variety of Traditional Manufacturing Fields, Including Smart Construction, Advanced Materials, Smart Factories, Automotive, Food Tech and More.
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Throughout this three years period, the Authority will assist in funding the establishment of the labs’ technological infrastructure for the benefit of the entrepreneurs and their start-ups, with a budget of up to NIS 4 million ($1.117 million). The Authority will also cover ongoing operational costs of up to a 500,000 NIS ($139,000) per year. The start-ups accepted to the labs will receive up to 85% of funding or NIS 1 million ($279,000) to establish their proof of concept.
The target audience for the program is entrepreneurs and startups, with innovative ideas in the relevant verticals, who are interested in getting a proof of concept and developing their idea into a product. The program also focuses on attracting leading multinational corporations interested in adopting open innovation and in supporting startups through the labs by making unique technological infrastructure accessible, especially technological infrastructure which is not currently available in Israel.
The following companies were selected to operate the labs during the three-year pilot period:
- Let-Lab: The Ham-Let Group will operate a technological lab that will be established in the Ziporit Industrial Area in northern Israel. The laboratory will focus on innovative technologies in the field of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
- Construction Lab: Shikum & Binui, Solel Boneh and Italian energy corporation ENEL will operate a technological lab that will be established in the Haifa Bay area and will focus on smart infrastructure in the fields of construction, transportation and energy.
- ASI (Automotive Service Israel): The Renault-Nissan Alliance will operate a technological lab established in the entrepreneurial complex in Tel Aviv’s Kiryat Atidim business center. The lab will focus on smart urban mobility.
- PMatX: Merck Performance Materials and Flex will jointly operate a technological lab that will be established in the city of Yavne and will focus on advanced materials and on innovative production processes for next generation electronic devices.
- Frutarom: Frutarom will operate a technological lab in Haifa aiming at developing unique, functional raw materials for the food and beverage industries.
CEO Aharon Aharon said, “We put great emphasis on introducing innovation to the manufacturing industry. We received 16 outstanding proposals, indicating a real need that the program addresses. The lab program will serve as a platform for connecting the manufacturing industry with the culture of entrepreneurship and innovation for which Israel has become renowned. It will help give Israeli companies a competitive edge globally.”
Anya Eldan, Head of the StartUp Division and Vice President said, “The lab program enables the development of innovation ecosystems in a variety of fields in advanced manufacturing by leveraging the technological infrastructure and knowhow of large companies – in Israel and around the world – for the benefit of startups. The program joins our successful Technological Incubator Program at the StartUp Division of the Israel Innovation Authority.”
