Leonardo strengthens relations with the State of Israel by focusing attention on innovation, a sector in which the country has been able to create a unique ecosystem in the world that contributes to 15,3% of GDP and feeds 54% of exports.
Two agreements concluded by Leonardo in Israel. The first was entered into with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), an independent public agency providing technical and financial support for innovative projects promoted by startups, mature companies, multinationals and Israeli and international universities. The second was signed with Ramot, the Technology Transfer Company for the enhancement of the intellectual property of Tel Aviv University, a university with over 30 students, including 16 researchers.
The partnerships, promoted by Leonardo and supported and coordinated by the Italian Embassy in Israel, with the contribution of the Israeli Embassy in Italy and the Israeli Economic Mission in Milan, aim at enhancing cooperation in the field of scouting and development of startups, leveraging on the experience and track record recorded by the "Startup Nation", with over 7 thousand startups, around 430 Venture Capital funds operating in the innovation ecosystem, 100 accelerators and 37 active incubators.
The dynamic and competitive Israeli startup ecosystem develops innovative high-tech solutions in multiple sectors, including those of strategic interest to Leonardo's business, such as defence, cybersecurity, aeronautics, intelligence and space.
The agreements will find immediate application with the activation of a startup scouting collaboration for the second international call of Leonardo's Business Innovation Factory (BIF) accelerator. The program, launched by the company on January 24 and dedicated to startups with innovative solutions in the sectors simulation and gamification e networking & cybersecurity, expects one of the five stops on the promotional road show to take place in Tel Aviv (February 28). With Ramot, the principles will be established for the activation of cooperation on research projects sponsored by Leonardo and carried out by Tel Aviv University and for which Leonardo will define areas of research and interest, indicating the guidelines of the Call for proposal dedicated to University researchers. Ramot has invested, to date, in over 100 startups and works with companies to carry out applied research projects, also using IIA funds.
The agreements signed with IIA and Ramot are part of Leonardo's strategy aimed at strengthening relations with institutions, universities and private entities to create structural partnerships with the aim of fueling technological and business innovation processes, following the guidelines contained in the plan strategic Be Tomorrow 2030.
The agreement with the IIA, in particular, is part of the Authority's "R&D and Pilot Collaboration with Multinational Corporations (MNCs)" programme, launched in 2005 with the aim of promoting ambitious collaborations between large multinationals and the most innovative Israeli companies .
