The U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation brings together Commercial Space Industry Leaders and Government Representatives to Foster Bi-national R&D Cooperation

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Washington, D.C. — The United States-Israel Science and Technology Foundation (USISTF), a Washington-based non-profit organization that promotes mutually beneficial business collaboration between the U.S. and Israel for the advancement of science and technology, has announced the results of the U.S.-Israel Commercial Space roundtable hosted on February 1, 2011 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

USISTF convened the roundtable to encourage bi-national collaboration in the research, development, and testing of next-generation, high-need commercial space technologies. By bringing together high-level government officials from both countries and industry thought leaders, USISTF formulated actionable goals for increased industrial, civilian and commercial space cooperation.

“Our goal in hosting this roundtable was to cement relations that stimulate technological development and commercial exchange between the two countries,” said Ann Liebschutz, executive director of USISTF. “This initiative is part of our bigger strategic project “Innovation 2028” which presents a vision for enhancing international partnerships in the commercial aerospace, cleantech, and biotechnology industries.”

The U.S.-Israel Commercial Space Working Group reached the following conclusions and recommendations for future industry and government collaborative projects:

Bi-national Government Cooperation — The office of the Chief Scientist of the Israel Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor and National Aeronautics and the Space Administration (NASA) seek to advance long-term strategic planning of technological leadership and cooperation. Small Business Innovation Research grants could be considered as a mechanism for U.S.-Israel cooperation on developing high risk technologies responding to NASA and U.S. Government Agency needs.

Bi-national Commercial Cooperation — A “trade” mission of Israeli industry and academic representatives to visit NASA centers and interface with researchers and U.S. industry representatives in the near geographical areas that supply each centers research needs.

Bi-national Industry and Government Cooperation — The Office of the Chief of the Israel Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor may consider publicizing NASA’s “wish list” of technologies based on mission priorities and make them readily available to Israeli industry to guide them in developing technology congruent with U.S. Industries needs to serve NASA priorities.

Please find the roundtable proceedings available for download here.

USISTF hosts Environmental Symposium Highlighting U.S.-Israel Research and Development Cooperation in Green Technology

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On December 15th, the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation, the Embassy of Israel and ZAG/S&W Law Firm hosted the third and final Environmental Symposium of their three-part series examining innovative technology developed in Israel to address pressing environmental challenges both in the U.S. and Israel.  The program highlighted U.S.-Israel R&D Cooperation in Green Technology.  Speakers included Asaf Vitman, Minster of Economics representing the Ministry of Finance at the Embassy of Israel, Dan Birns, International Advisory, Department of Energy and David Lohr, Directed of the Dominion Resources Green Technology Incubator and VP of the Virginia Biotechnology Science Park.

At the event, attended by well over 40 guests representing government, industry and universities, Dan Birns highlighted the results of the BIRD-Energy partnership between the U.S. and Israel and cooperation between U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) and Israeli companies to grow and develop algae as a commercially viable transportation energy resource.  David Lohr described how previous success working with Israeli companies at the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park led him to do specific outreach to bring innovative Israeli companies to the growing Dominion Resources Green Technology Incubator.

For press coverage of the event, please see Patrick Walker’s summary in the Examiner.

U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation Organized Personalize Medicine Panel at the U.S.-Israel Healthcare IT Business Exchange in Atlanta Georgia

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On June 9, 2010 Ann Liebschutz, Executive Director of the US-Israel Science and Technology Foundation (USISTF), moderated a Personalized Medicine panel titled the “Future of Healthcare IT—The Intersection with Personalized Medicine” at the US-Israel Healthcare IT Business Exchange, June 8-9, 2010 in Atlanta, GA.

The US-Israel Healthcare IT Business Exchange, organized by the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, is an important forum to help Israeli companies market their cutting edge technology in the US.  Elizabeth Cohen, Senior Medical Correspondent for CNN offered keynote remarks at this event. As the Obama administration invests billions of dollars into a new Health Care System Infrastructure, new opportunities are opening for collaborative investment and R&D linking Israeli leaders in the Health Information Technology (HIT) industry with major US stakeholders in the field.

Panelists included:

Dr. Yelena Yesha, an electronic commerce and assured information systems expert and Computer Science Professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County
Presentation Title: “Computational Challenges in Health IT”

Dr. Naphtali Rishe, database management and high performance computing expert and Professor at the Florida International University’s School of Computing and Information Sciences
Presentation Title: “Healthcare IT work in Florida universities in the framework of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Research Center for Advance Knowledge Enablement”

Dr. Eddy Karnieli, Director of the Institute of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at the RAMBAM Medical Center in Israel

Dr. Daniel Russler of the Nationwide Health Information Network

Dr. Joel Saltz, Director of the Center for Comprehensive Informatics and Professor in the Department of Pathology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, and Mathematics and Computer Science at Emory University.

This panel, in the context of the Business Exchange’s efforts to facilitate Israeli companies entering the emerging HIT market, assessed the state of the industry, identifying key technological areas for development and cooperation.  Israel continues to be a leader in the HIT industry, and the USISTF is excited to have participated in this panel as we work to bring together experts from both countries to best take advantage of the opportunities unfolding in new health care technology.

Israel 2028: Clean Tech Policy Symposia

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In partnership with the Samuel Neaman Institute, USISTF hosted a Clean Tech Policy Symposia in March at Tel Aviv College that drew together leaders from Israel’s clean tech industry, academia and policy worlds to discuss the state of the Clean Tech industry in Israel.  USISTF Executive Director, Ann Liebschutz gave a presentation about trends in R & D funding of Clean Tech innovation in the U.S. Federal Government while other participants presented analysis of the regulatory, Venture Capital and R & D environment in Israel.  The results of the symposia have been published in Hebrew and English and contributed to the Samuel Neaman Institute being awarded a prize in Environmental Policy.

We are pleased to offer you these reports to download for free. The reports include presentations made primarily in Hebrew with a few presentations, including that by Ann Liebschutz, in English.  The reports analyze the current state of the Clean Tech Industry in Israel and evaluation challenges to its further development.

Please click here to download the Clean Tech Symposia Full Report (Primarily in Hebrew)

USISTF hosts US-Israel Biotechnology Roundtable at BIO 2010

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On May 5, 2010 the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation hosted the first U.S.-Israel Biotechnology Business Roundtable at the Hyatt Regency Chicago hotel in conjunction with the BIO 2010 International Convention.  Ms. Holly Vineyard, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East, South Asia and Africa and Ms. Naomi Wiegler, Middle East Trade Specialist attended the event on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Dr. Eli Opper, Chief Scientist for the Government of Israel’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor and Dr. Ora Dar, Biotechnology Advisor to the Chief Scientist both attended the event on behalf of the Government of Israel. The well attended morning event attracted more than forty participants representing biotechnology industry, pharmaceutical industry, technology transfer offices, academic community and state economic development offices.  Ann Liebschutz, Executive Director of the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation

The Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) located in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor (MOITL) in the Government of Israel, the main source of government R & D funding in Israel, has invested heavily in the life sciences and considers biotechnology to be a preferred industry.  Dr. Opper recognized that Israel’s ultimate success in this sector depends in no small part on taking advantage of international alliances – particularly those with the United States.  The OCS has established specialized incubators for life sciences and most recently is in the process of establishing a dedicated biotechnology fund in alliance with private sector fund managers to assist with the further development of the biotechnology sector in Israel.  The U.S. Department of Commerce is keen to meet the new U.S. national export initiative that challenges the U.S. to double its exports in the next five years.  Like, Dr. Ooper, Ms. Vineyard sees expanding two-way trade and cooperation between the U.S. and Israel as a key to achieving biotechnology economic and job growth.

The purpose of the U.S.-Israel Biotechnology Roundable is to provide a platform for interested stakeholders from industry, academia, and government to share their views on ways to expand and improve the U.S.-Israel relationship in the biotechnology sector.  The issue of expanding American led multi-national corporations R & D centers to Israel touched on topics such as the positive climate for clinical trials in Israel, intellectual property issues and Israel’s encouraging environment for science.  Participants noted that the U.S. remains competitive for biotechnology research and that when R & D centers are spread out too far, management can become difficult and diluted.  An idea emerged that we may see more R & D cooperation agreements between multi-nationals and R & D players in diverse sectors in Israel, rather than the location of complete R & D centers in the country.  Other topics considered were patent strength issues, financial credit issues and the value of collaboration of scientific exchanges that touches all level of industry and research – from large corporations to small businesses.  FDA regulations were also discussed including how to make use of a new FDA permanent representative in Amman, Jordan and a possible internship for Israel based U.S. citizens in the FDA to increase knowledge of FDA processes in Israel.

U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation hosts Israel Water Technology Forum

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After facing water scarcity concerns for many years, Israel has become a world leader in water resource management and conservation, and water-based alternative energy technologies. Israeli water engineers developed the world’s first drip irrigation system in the mid-1960s. Ever since, new water conservation technologies have contributed to the country’s flourishing agricultural sector. Today, Israel is known for its advanced technologies in the fields of desalination, water treatment and reclamation, and water safety and conservation, and is using its expertise to tackle worldwide environmental and energy challenges.

In late March, in partnership with the Embassy of Israel and ZAG/S & W, an American-Israeli law firm, the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation hosted an Israel Water Technology Forum at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  The forum explored Israeli water conversation and water-based technologies, highlighted innovative Israeli companies in the water sector and discussed the ways that Israeli water technologies are being implemented to solve problems in the United States.

Speakers included: Booky Oren, executive chairman of the Miya Water Company and former Chairman of Mekerot, the Israel National Water Company, Delegate Bob Hull, former Virginia State Delegate and original sponsor of the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board and Minister Ohad Cohen, commercial attaché at the Embassy of Israel.

Press Coverage of the Israel Water Technology Forum:

Green Chip Article:
Investing in Water Technology Stocks
By Sam Hopkins | Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

WaterTech Online Article:
U.S. and Israel Officials Convene in Washington for Water Technology Forum
Thursday March 25, 2010

USISTF Presents ‘Israel 2028’ at the World Bank

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On May 13, the World Bank Executive Director’s Office for Israel, the World Bank InfoShop and the U.S. Israel Science and Technology Foundation hosted an event titled ‘Israel 2028: Vision and Strategy for Economy and Society in a Global World.’

The event included presentations, comments and analysis by leading industry and government executives and economists. Eli Hurvitz, Chairman of Teva and Chairman of the Israel 2028 Steering Committee presented his vision of the impact of the Israel 2028 strategy on Israel’s development in the coming years. David Brodet, Editor in Chief of Israel 2028 and former Director-General for Israel’s Ministry of Finance presented highlights of the economic and social policy recommendations promoted by Israel 2028 to position Israel among the world’s leading economies.  David Miron-Wapner, Executive Director of the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission Israel office served as a panelist. Jaime Jaramillio-Vallej, lead economist for the World Bank Independent Evaluation group provided insight and analysis of the report while Yoav Soffer, advisor to the Executive Director for Israel at the World Bank moderated the event that was well attended by World Bank and other professionals.

Israeli Leaders Promote Competitiveness Strategy at Israel 2028 Briefing Hosted by Democratic and Republican Israel Caucuses

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Leading Israeli executives were in Washington the week of May 11th  to discuss with Members of Congress, the Administration and the World Bank a strategic plan to catapult Israel to the next strata of economic competitiveness.  Dubbed ‘Israel 2028,’ the plan seeks to harness Israel’s global leadership in high-technology and the sciences to position Israel among the world’s leading economies within the next 20 years, improving social integration and workforce participation and expanding scientific capacity at Israeli universities and through joint development with the United States.

Jointly hosted by Representatives Henry Waxman, Gene Green, Alcee Hastings and Linda Sanchez as co-chairs of the Democratic Israel Working Group and Representatives Mark Kirk and Eric Cantor as co-chairs of the House Republican Israel Caucus, Eli Hurvitz and David Brodet, editor of Israel 2028 and former Director-General for Israel’s Ministry of Finance, briefed Congressional leaders on actionable steps to tap scientific ingenuity to boost economic growth both in Israel and the United States.  A component of Israel 2028 is dedicated to joint U.S.-Israel scientific collaboration.

Also speaking was Phil Bond, President of TechAmerica and Dr. Kathryn Atchison, Vice Chancellor for Research at UCLA. Meetings also took place with the Department of Commerce and with officials at the World Bank.

Israel 2028 is a project born of the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission, an initiative of the Clinton Administration, and its non-profit operational arm, the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation.