A Visit from the Ministry of Economy and Industry

A delegation of senior officials from the Ministry of Economy and Industry led by the director general of the ministry visited the Technion

Last week, a delegation of senior officials from the Ministry of Economy and Industry, headed by the Director General of the ministry, Adv. Amnon Merhav, visited the Technion. The meeting was intended to strengthen the relationship between the Technion and Israeli industry, and both parties agreed that the Technion’s management fully understands the importance of this relationship, and that the industry understands the magnitude of the potential inherent in joining forces with the Technion.  “The Ministry of Economy promotes joint initiatives with the business sector, academia and the public sector, ” said Adv . Our goal is to integrate into the 2024 budget a significant growth plan for the economy.”

Senior officials from the Ministry of Economy and the Technion

The visit began with a meeting at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering with the Vice President for Innovation and Industrial Relations, Prof. Lihi Zelnik-Manor and members of the faculty, including the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Sima Yaron. The delegation then visited the PTC headquarters at the Technion and the National Institute for Construction Research.

At the conclusion of the visit, the Vice President for Research, Prof. Noam Adir joined and heard from the members of the delegation about their assessment of the high level of the research presented to them during the visit and its suitability for the ministry’s goals. Prof. Adir said, “The Technion is currently working to improve the relationship between academic and applied research, which is an essential link for the strength of the Technion and for the advancement of the State of Israel. Academic research sometimes operates on different schedules than those of industry, but through cooperation with the various parties, it is possible to provide our researchers with tools to promote applied research, while maintaining the academic goals of the researchers and students.”

Oz Katz, Director of the Industries Administration at the Ministry of Economy, said that “the war is a crisis, but also an opportunity. First, it clarifies the importance of industry, construction and agriculture to the Israeli economy. These are areas that routinely suffer from low productivity relative to the OECD countries, and during the war, also from a severe shortage of manpower. The solution to these two problems lies in assimilating innovation – a step that will also lead to reducing gaps and strengthening the periphery. In this process, the Technion has an important role. The management of the Technion understands very well the importance of the relationship with industry, and it is clear to industry that the Technion is a very significant resource .”

David Shem Tov, Head of Innovation and Applied Research at the Research Authority at the Technion Institute, noted that a few months ago, the Technion and the Ministry of Economy and Industry signed the “Technion 360” project with an investment of NIS 4 million, and that the current meeting was aimed at expanding this activity. As part of the project, the Technion and the Ministry will lead a combination of innovation, training and entrepreneurship in dozens of manufacturing plants, in order to improve the productivity and competitiveness of Israeli industry