Europe’s largest innovation community is coming to Israel

#EITinAction – Official launch of new European Hub in Tel Aviv

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. This includes education courses that combine technical and entrepreneurial skills, business creation and acceleration services and innovation driven research projects.

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.

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’.  

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.’

‘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.

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. 

EIT- MAKING INNOVATION HAPPEN!

What is the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)?

The EIT was created in 2008 to power Europe’s ability to innovate. The EIT is the only EU initiative to fully integrate business, education and research. We are Europe’s largest innovation network with more than 1 500 partners and 50 innovation hubs across Europe. More information: EIT in a nutshell Infographic

Success Stories

The EIT Community have celebrated success in a broad range of global challenges, from health and food to climate change and urban mobility. Israeli organisations will find partners and inspiration in innovators and entrepreneurs that include Diabeloop – D4Kids, an artificial intelligence system to improve type 1 diabetes management for children; CorPower Ocean, which is developing a unique Wave Energy Converter (WEC) to efficiently and sustainably harvest wave energy, revolutionising the world of renewable wave energy; and Lilium, the world’s first electric vertical take-off and landing jet, supported by EIT Climate-KIC. Discover talented EIT Community innovators: EIT Community Success Stories

Facts & Figures

• Proposed budget of EUR 3 billion between 2021 and 2027 under the EU’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Framework Programme. 
• Europe’s largest innovation network: 1 500 + partners from top business, research and education organisations across Europe in 50+ innovation hubs across Europe.
• Europe’s tried, tested and proven innovation engine: powered more than 2 000 start-ups and scale-ups, created more than 6 100 jobs and more than 900 new products and services. More than 2 200 students have graduated from EIT-labelled master and doctoral programmes. To date, EIT-supported ventures have raised more than EUR 1.5 billion in external capital.

Tackling global challenges

The EIT’s eight Knowledge and Innovation Communities work to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy (EIT Climate-KIC), drive Europe’s digital transformation (EIT Digital), lead the global revolution in food innovation and production (EIT Food), give EU citizens greater opportunities to enjoy a healthy life (EIT Health), achieve a sustainable energy future for Europe (EIT InnoEnergy), strengthen the competitiveness of Europe’s manufacturing industry (EIT Manufacturing), develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe (EIT RawMaterials) and solve mobility challenges of our cities (EIT Urban Mobility). Together with their leading partners, they offer a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities.