Israel has launched a national project to integrate its Druze, Circassian and Bedouin communities into its high-tech industry, the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) said on Monday.
As part of the five-year program, two innovation centers serving the Druze and Circassian communities will be established in the northern region of the Carmel, Galilee and Golan Heights, alongside another innovation center for the Bedouin community in the Negev, according to the statement.
These will provide support for technological entrepreneurship, including connections to the high-tech ecosystem, academia and investors.
The budget for the initiative will total approximately $7.8 million, according to the IIA.
“The establishment of innovation centers in the North and the Negev is a strategic government initiative designed to reduce disparities and create genuine equality of opportunity in Israeli society,” said Israeli Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel.
“We are providing young people from the Druze, Circassian and Bedouin communities with an entry point into the technological world and high-tech entrepreneurship, recognizing that integrating diverse populations is essential for the continued growth of Israel’s high-tech engine,” the statement continued.
Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority Alon Stopel said: “The centers will create infrastructure for technological entrepreneurship, provide top-level professional training, and connect participants to the Israeli high-tech ecosystem. Promoting demographic and geographic diversity in high-tech is a central, long-term objective... driven by the understanding that Israeli high-tech requires an ever-growing pool of talent to continue to scale up.”
According to the Authority, the three centers will assist in promoting and developing early-stage ideas, acceleration programs, professional mentoring by experienced advisers, market and investor connections, and support in capital raising and the development of business and technological infrastructure.
The first center, “Northtech Galil,” will operate in the Galilee and Golan regions and partner with Octally Group, Genist, Logica-IT, the University of Haifa, the University of Haifa Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (HIL), ItWorks–Empowering People and the Miraj Foundation.
The second center, “Beyon-D Innovations,” will be headquartered in the Carmel, with additional sites in northern Israel, and partner with DTech–the Innovation Center for Druze Soldiers, Ran Innovation, Believe Trade, TLQ Investments Ltd., Road2 and Dr. Nava Zisapel, cofounder of RAD BioMed.
The third, “Innovation Center for the Bedouin Community,” will operate in the Negev and partner with the Rahat Fund, Tamam Group, Portland Fund, Eyal Waldman (founder of Mellanox) and Sadiel Technologies.
These join 13 innovation centers currently operating in Israel’s periphery, from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat, as part of a broad IIA program implemented in cooperation with various government entities.
