(Communicated by the IIA Spokesperson)
Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Economy and Industry and Chairman of the
Israel Innovation Authority, Dr. Ami Appelbaum, and President of the
Adler Pelzer Group, Paolo Scudieri, will sign an agreement tomorrow (Thursday, 8 November 2018) for industrial cooperation between Israeli technology companies and the Adler Pelzer Group – a multinational/Italian corporation specializing in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of acoustic and thermal components and systems for the automotive sector. The corporation manufactures parts for leading car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot-Citroen, Champion Motors and many others.
As part of the agreement, the Israel Innovation Authority will support the corporation in identifying technological developments that fall within its sphere of activity. If the corporation is interested in seeking further development of such technologies, the Israel Innovation Authority will provide funding for the Israeli startups, while the corporation will support the startups’ R&D, marketing and other global activities.
The agreement is part of the Israel Innovation Authority’s Collaborative Framework with Multinational Corporations program, which began in 2005. Among the corporations that have already signed such collaborative agreements with the Authority: Intel, Audi, Abbot, Unilever, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Panasonic, Philips, Nielsen, Fujitsu, Renault and many others. Adler Pelzer is the first privately-owned Italian company amongst the Israel Innovation Authority’s corporate partners.
The Israel Innovation Authority’s program offers a unique framework for technological cooperation between MNCs and innovative Israeli companies. According to the agreement, the Innovation Authority helps multinationals pinpoint Israeli technologies that address the corporation’s specific needs, providing financial support for research and development. The multinational matches those funds – whether through investment, lending personnel or R&D equipment, or by providing consultation on regulatory, technological or marketing strategy – aiding the Israeli company and opening opportunities in markets abroad.
The Adler Pelzer Group is a key subsidiary of the Adler Group headed by Paolo Scudieri – a worldwide leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of acoustic and thermal components and systems for the automotive sector. The company utilizes innovative polymers and fibers, emphasizing the recycled use of raw materials. The group’s vision is to continuously expand the boundaries of technology with startup-focused investments. The company employs 12,000 people in 65 manufacturing and 12 R&D centers around the world. Its sales in 2017 exceeded €1.5 billion. Between 2013-2016, the group invested 4% of its growth capital in development centers, approximately €52 million.
The group has made supporting innovation a key objective, in order to better utilize its resources to develop innovative tools and materials for improving car comfort, acoustics, and thermal insulation, and reducing vehicular weight, while increasing functionality – with an emphasis on sustainability and protecting the environment.
Like other large groups in the auto industry, the Adler Pelzer Group discovered the benefits of Israeli technology and the many innovative developments Israeli companies offer in this field and aims at joining Israeli companies in technological collaboration. To bolster the agreement, the group has established a center in Israel together with Inlight aimed at identifying companies and innovative technologies that complement the group’s business activities. The space, called the Adler Inlight Technology Observatory, will highlight the integration of Israeli, Italian, and international technological innovation, and will be managed by Inlight founder Roberta Anati. The focus of the center’s activity will be establishing strategic cooperation or strategic investments in which both sides bring value to joint initiatives in fields like smart transportation and renewable energy.
“Smart mobility is among the fastest growing fields in the world, and there’s no doubt that this agreement between the Adler Pelzer Group and the Israel Innovation Authority is a vote of confidence in the Israeli startup ecosystem, and further proof that in the new world of automotive – so tied to innovation and technology – Israel is a key player,” said Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen.
“Collaboration between a multinational corporation like Adler Pelzer and Israeli companies will lead to the development of new technologies and innovations in a variety of fields, among them renewable energy – which is important for the entire world,” said Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Economy and Industry and Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority, Dr. Ami Appelbaum. “The Adler Pelzer Group is eager to learn from scientific and technological innovation in Israel. Our cooperation will contribute greatly to Israel and to Israeli R&D. Israeli innovation is not only in the fields of information technology and communications. This agreement is a testament to Israel’s role at the forefront of innovation, which is drawing international attention in many leading fields.”
“I am thrilled by the agreement with the Israel Innovation Authority,” said President of the Adler Pelzer Group, Paolo Scudieri. “It embodies the DNA of the Adler Group, which was founded in 1957, with innovation as its banner. We are celebrating the scientific and technological progress that has been achieved over the years thanks to the work of many people. These people, and the relationships between them, enabled this important collaboration with the Israel Innovation Authority, which will be embodied in Israel by the Adler Inlight Technology Observatory.”