Aiming to revolutionize the manufacturing sector, the Ministry of Economy and Industry, in collaboration with the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, has launched an initiative to enhance the research and development efforts of manufacturing plants across the country. This joint venture seeks to promote innovation, progress and competitiveness, ultimately increasing productivity in the industry.
In a contract valued at NIS 4 million, researchers from the Technion will work with the Israeli manufacturing sector to address barriers to about 100 factories identified in a preliminary study. The recently signed agreement is poised to make significant strides in enhancing the industry’s research capabilities and fostering a culture of innovation.
Amnon Merhav, director of the Ministry of Economy and Industry, praised the ambitious project, highlighting its potential to drive advanced research, innovation and manufacturing. „I congratulate the president of the Technion… Let’s use Israel’s comparative advantage – the human factor – together for the benefit of advancing the industry,” he said.
Last year, a joint committee led by the Technion and Industry Administration of the Ministry of Economy and Industry conducted a comprehensive study on the innovation needs of industry in the Northern Region and the Academy’s ability to meet those needs.
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The investigation included meetings with Technion researchers at nearly 100 industrial plants in the region. During these sessions, barriers to collaboration were identified, and potential avenues for collaborative work were mapped out.
A significant finding from this evaluation revealed that non-high-end manufacturing industries, in particular, are lacking in realizing the full potential of collaboration with academics. While hi-tech and elite industrial firms engage in approximately 90% of such collaborations, non-elite industrial firms face various barriers that severely limit their participation.
Barriers identified include disparities in management resources, language differences between industry and academia, misaligned incentives between parties, and bureaucratic difficulties associated with establishing collaboration.
The Technion’s president, Prof. Uri Sivan, expressed the institution’s commitment to social welfare, national security, and the Israeli economy. „Technology has always been responsible for society, its security and the economy of the State of Israel, and in this tradition we see great potential in using the research conducted at the Technion for the advancement of the manufacturing sector in the State of Israel,” he said. „We are proud to join the Ministry of Economy and Industry in this important initiative.”
„Oddany rozwiązywacz problemów. Przyjazny hipsterom praktykant bekonu. Miłośnik kawy. Nieuleczalny introwertyk. Student.