The next big thing is on the way: green technologies. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Economy and Industry, along with the Innovation Authority, have chosen the winning proposal for a bid to establish a new innovation lab that will focus on environmental protection and sustainability. ESIL Technologies will build and operate a NIS 14 million lab for environmental sustainability in Haifa, as part of a plan to transform Israel into an environmental tech powerhouse and strengthen Israeli industry.

 

ESIL will receive funding for three years, to set up a lab with unique technological infrastructure, as well as for the ongoing operation of the lab and for proof of feasibility projects for companies whose projects are accepted by the lab. The projects will be in the field of environmental protection and sustainability, with an emphasis on the development of innovative technologies that are not based on fossil fuel sources.

 

The program will help entrepreneurs and early-stage startups achieve a proof of concept in the fields of environmental sustainability and protection, with an emphasis on developing innovative technologies which are not based on fossil fuels. This, in accordance with the policy of the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection as well as global trends towards divestment from fossils fuel and development of clean technologies.

 

ESIL Technologies is a partnership between Bnnovation – a unique innovation platform of the Bazan Group; EDF Renewables, a specialist in renewable energy production; and Johnson Matthey, a global science and chemicals company and a leader in sustainable technologies. The partnership will enable entrepreneurs and startups in the field of environmental protection and sustainability to reach a proof of concept via access to unique technological infrastructure, experimental facilities in Israel and abroad, and to achieve market awareness and unique go-to-market channels and expertise unavailable to these companies today, which will help transform their technological ideas into a products of economic value.

 

Projects that are accepted into their Innovation Lab can receive financial support for up to 85% of the budget, up to a ceiling of NIS 1 million, for a period of up to one year. Most program funding will be transferred directly to startups accepted to the incubator to fund a proof of concept.

 

The incubator will promote cooperation between the entrepreneurial community and Israeli industry in order to improve the industrial sector’s environmental sustainability and competitive performance. The incubator joins five additional innovation incubators as part of a program run by the Startup Division at the Israel Innovation Authority. The Startup Division assists early-stage entrepreneurs and companies from ideation to initial market penetration through a variety of support programs, including the incubator program.

 

Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority and Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry: “The issue of environmental protection and sustainability is of massive global consequence but presents significant challenges. The Lab will be a key hub for the development of groundbreaking technological solutions in these fields and will offer Israeli entrepreneurs and startups know-how and expertise through cooperation with leading players in both Israeli and global industry. Israel is recognized worldwide as a leader in technological innovation in fields of environmental protection such as water treatment and alternative energies, and there is no doubt that the incubator will help develop an innovation ecosystem that will encourage cooperation between technology companies and academia, potential clients, and investors.”

 

Israel Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen: "Establishment and operation of a cleantech innovation lab is a continuation of the policy outlined by the Ministry of Economy, with the aim of fostering and encouraging Israeli entrepreneurs and start-ups and accompanying them from the initial stages to the final stages of product development. The State of Israel is a rising global force when it comes to developing innovative technologies, and the collaboration between local industry and global investors constitutes a significant economic growth lever for the Israeli economy in general and the Northern and Haifa districts in particular."

 

Israel Minister of Environment Protection Ze’ev Elkin: "The establishment of a new cleantech innovation lab to encourage the establishment of Israeli start-ups and help them develop and take their place in the global market is another step in realizing the Ministry of Environmental Protection's plan to make the State of Israel a global power in the field of environmental technologies. This program will also greatly contribute to the advancement of the environment in Israel, and will transform the subject of environmental technologies into a new field contributing to the Israeli economy."

 

MoEP Senior Deputy Director of Planning, Policy and Strategy Galit Cohen: “The Innovation Lab project is designed to promote early enterprises, alongside the pilot track that is operating since 2018, and supports commercial demonstration projects of more established entrepreneurs."

 

Oz Katz, Head of the Industries Administration at the Ministry of Economy and Industry: “Establishment of the Innovation Lab is part of the National Circular Economy Program promoted by the Ministry's Industries Administration. The program is aimed at promoting productivity and innovation in the industry while improving environmental performance. It has various components that will be launched in the near future and will advance the Israeli industry."