In a major step toward strengthening Israel’s leadership in energy innovation and climate technology, Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Eli Cohen officially inaugurated the National Institute for Energy and Electrochemical Storage at Bar-Ilan University.
This first-of-its-kind national institute was established through a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Bar-Ilan University and the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology.
The launch ceremony was attended by the Director General of the Ministry, Yossi Dayan; Bar-Ilan University president professor Arie Zaban; Technion president Uri Sivan; and leaders from Israel’s academic, industrial and governmental sectors.
As a cornerstone of a future national energy innovation hub to be built at Bar-Ilan, the institute will serve as a national engine for deep-tech innovation in energy and climate technologies. Its mission spans the full innovation lifecycle—from basic research to commercialization, targeting transformative solutions in electrochemistry, batteries, hydrogen energy, sustainable industrial materials and carbon capture.
“The establishment of the National Energy Institute is a strategic move to harness Israeli innovation for national and global impact,” said Cohen. “Energy is life, and this institute will drive the breakthrough technologies needed to position Israel at the forefront of global energy innovation. As AI transforms the energy sector, we are committed to building solutions that strengthen national security, improve environmental quality, and deliver energy at competitive costs.”
“For me, this is not only a professional mission; it’s deeply personal,” said Zaban. “To meet our climate goals and safeguard the planet’s future, we need bold, science-driven innovation. With this institute, Israel takes its place among global leaders in energy and climate tech.”
Sivan added, “Sustainability is one of the defining challenges of our century. Meeting it requires true collaboration—across disciplines, institutions and sectors. This new institute, with its state-of-the-art research infrastructure, will serve as a national asset and a launchpad for transformative technologies.”
The institute will serve as a collaborative hub uniting academia, industry and government to accelerate Israel’s energy innovation ecosystem. From basic science to real-world deployment, its infrastructure will support startups, researchers and industrial partners in developing scalable technologies.
During the inauguration, guests toured the institute’s advanced laboratories for energy storage and fuel cell research. The event concluded with a conference co-hosted by the NetZero incubator, focusing on bridging the gap between academic R&D and commercial-scale deployment.
The institute also aims to cultivate national expertise in energy storage, train the next generation of energy professionals, and foster industrial partnerships.
Initial research programs will be led by teams from Israel’s top institutions, including Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University, Ariel University, the Weizmann Institute, Bar-Ilan University and the Technion. Among the flagship projects:
- Professor Emanuel Peled from Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with Bar-Ilan University, will develop sodium-ion batteries with the potential to power affordable, grid-scale energy storage.
- Professor Charles Diesendruck from the Technion will pioneer new approaches to lithium-ion battery recycling, enhancing sustainability and circularity in energy systems.
With the launch of the National Institute for Energy and Electrochemical Storage, Israel signals a bold new chapter—advancing toward a resilient, low-carbon and innovation-led energy future.
