During the fourth and final High Level Group (HLG) and National Project Coordinators meetings under the Israeli Chairmanship in Jerusalem last month, EUREKA's decision-makers approved 29 innovative projects aimed at developing marketable products and solutions through EUREKA, totaling 39 million euros of investment. These projects add to more than 220 EUREKA and Eurostars projects that were approved since Israel took the leadership of EUREKA, totaling more than 300 million euros of private and public investment. 12 of the 29 projects approved at the meetings have Israeli partners – representing over 40% of the total. Israel is only one of 40 member countries in EUREKA but represents over one-quarter of the overall number of projects approved during the past year.
The EUREKA delegates gathered at four meetings during the course of the year – held in several of Israel’s major cities – in order to promote industry, technology, R&D, and international cooperation through funding and partner-matching.
Assembled in Tel Aviv in October for the first event held in Israel under the EUREKA Chairmanship year, EUREKA's High Level Group Representatives and National Project Coordinators approved 51 Million Euros of investments in 56 projects submitted by EUREKA member countries, more than 30% of which had Israeli partners. The Chairmanship presented its work plan for the year and assigned working groups to advance its priorities.
The second meeting of the Chairmanship year, held in February in Eilat in cooperation with the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference, was focused on clean-tech, a technology sector that the Israeli Chairmanship had put as the top priority this year. The strong focus on clean-tech was reflective of the commitment of EUREKA’s member countries to deal with the critical grand challenges facing mankind today, including energy and the environment, climate change and security. In the spirit of promoting further innovation in clean technology, during the event EUREKA marked the launch of its new
EUREKA Clean-Tech Action, a campaign focused on generating cooperative industrial R&D projects in the clean-tech sector. EUREKA currently has over 100 active clean-tech projects, at a cost of over 200 million Euros.
During the third meeting of the Chairmanship, held in April this year in Haifa and Nazareth, it was determined that EUREKA representatives would formally announce to the European Commission that the EUREKA network will become the preferred support program for European industry, for cooperation industrial R&D. The event also presented an opportunity to highlight cooperation between Jewish and Arab entrepreneurs from the Galilee, and served to encourage greater cooperation with minorities throughout Europe.
The events this week also follow the recently held 17th EUREKA Inter-Parliamentary Conference, which took place in late May at the Israeli Knesset (Parliament). With the participation of the Knesset Speaker, several ministers, leading Israeli and European policy-makers, industry representatives, funding bodies, and academics, the conference sessions explored how governments can more effectively support industrial innovation as a means for business generation in times of economic crisis. There was also a special welcome in the Knesset hall to European Parliamentarians from Mr. Meir Sheetrit, Chairman of the Knesset Committee on Science and Technology.
In early June, at the first EUREKA Investors Shop held at the Annual High-Tech Conference in Jerusalem, EUREKA announced the launch of “
E!nnoVest”, a new search and match web tool for investors and companies, and the first pan-European EUREKA investment platform. This web-based instrument allows investors to identify highly-qualified and pre-screened companies from the EUREKA portfolio of innovative technology-based SMEs and start-ups.
Dr. Eli Opper said: “This was the first year in which a EUREKA member country from outside of Europe was chosen to serve as Chairman of the network. Now, with the completion of this successful and exciting year, I feel that Israel’s reputation of being a nation of innovation and entrepreneurship has grown even greater, and we have met and exceeded all of the objectives we set for ourselves in July 2010. We are proud that the EUREKA Program continues on its path after our chairmanship year, equipped with better and richer tools, and having received further strength in realizing its vision and goals. The Israeli economy and industry were reinforced by the Chairmanship of the Program and already we are seeing the results on the ground, and the overall positive impact of this year.”
At the 25th Anniversary Event in Jerusalem last month, Israeli Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Shalom Simhon said: “With the support of this distinguished Network, I can stand here today and say without a doubt that we have very much come far in achieving the goals we set out more than a year ago. I am confident that the Hungarian Chairmanship will continue where we have left off, further advancing the priorities set by the Israeli Chairmanship as well as developing and promoting new strategic goals.”
He continued: “This is the beauty of the rotating presidency of EUREKA. The fact that each country – for one year - can utilize its strengths, rich experience and best practices to lead the Network in advancing its goals, all while adding that extra edge and skills that each country represents. Each Chair leads EUREKA with respect for the last chairs’ achievements, with the goal of continuity at the forefront, and in looking forward to the work of future chairs.”
