Spanning more than 7,000 square meters of advanced laboratories, the Kinneret Science and Innovation Park is home to the new Kinneret Innovation Center, which is expected to generate thousands of high-quality jobs in northern Israel, according to the partners behind the park’s development.
The park, which was inaugurated at Zemach Junction near the shore of the Sea of Galilee on Sept. 4, was established through a partnership between Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, Kinneret Academic College and Zemach Industries. It was designed to connect academia, industry, entrepreneurship and technological innovation, particularly within the advanced agricultural industry.
“This is an opportunity to advance Israeli agriculture, nurture a new generation of entrepreneurs and establish advanced technology companies here in the Jordan Valley—for the development of the region as a whole, for advanced agricultural industry and for the benefit of future generations in northeastern Israel,” said Danny Taragan, chairman of Zemach Industries.
The center is anticipated to inject more than $600 million (NIS 2 billion) annually into the regional economy, according to KKL-JNF.
It also represents a step to rehabilitate and strengthen Israel’s northern periphery against Iranian terror proxies, including Hezbollah, it said.
The park’s campus, which covers 20 dunams (20,000 square meters), offers workspaces for hundreds of researchers, entrepreneurs and students, alongside dozens of companies already renting offices and operating in state-of-the-art laboratories.
“The Science and Innovation Park is a remarkable example of vision realized, of bold leadership and of committed partners who take initiative and drive forward,” said Elad Shamir, CEO of the Kinneret Innovation Center. “For seven years, we have been working to shape the future of the north—accelerating hundreds of entrepreneurs and technology companies, training thousands of youth and students and strengthening advanced agriculture and northern industry.”