Bar-Ilan University and Sheba Medical Center have announced the establishment of a joint research institute to accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries into clinical treatments. The $120 million institute connecting academia, health care and industry will be established within Sheba’s Health Tech Valley (HTV), the new state-of-the-art health, innovation and technology campus in Ramat Gan under the ownership of Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings.
The biotech institute will serve as a bridge between science and practice, focusing on areas such as cancer research, 3D printing of organs and tissues and the development of advanced medical devices, while drawing on specialized laboratories for computational biology, AI for medical data, medical robotics and genetic engineering. The research ecosystem will also advance the development of advanced sensor technologies and microbiome research, paving the way for more personalized medical treatments.
“The establishment of this institute fits into the broader picture of Israel’s biotechnology boom, which in recent years has become a magnet for public and private investments worth billions of shekels,” said professor Arie Zaban, president of Bar-Ilan University, who led the agreement signing alongside professor Yitshak Kreiss, director general of Sheba Medical Center. “Our collaboration with Sheba will significantly accelerate the transition from laboratory discovery to clinical application.”
Professor Yitshak Kreiss, director general of Sheba Medical Center, said: “The ecosystem we are building in Sheba’s Health Tech Valley together with leading partners like Bar-Ilan University, not only positions Israeli research at the global forefront, but is also the realization of a vision where the healthcare system serves as a powerful growth engine for the economy and industry.”
The research institute will be managed by a joint steering committee and operate in a model similar to the American NIH (National Institutes of Health), a national research institute specializing in biomedicine. The NIH model has proven the ability to transform basic discovery into clinical treatment in years rather than decades. Similarly, the main goal of the Bar-Ilan/Sheba research institute is to shorten the path from laboratory to medical practice, enabling faster development of new drugs, innovative treatments and advanced diagnostic tools.
The establishment of the research institute is the fruit of years-long collaboration between Bar-Ilan University and Sheba Medical Center that has already yielded several startups and life-saving treatments. The two call upon all research entities in Israel and across the world to take part in the innovative research institute.
Health Tech Valley will be Israel’s most advanced health tech ecosystem, located adjacent to Sheba Medical Center and less than a kilometer from Bar-Ilan University. The campus will provide a holistic environment for health-care innovation comprised of research hubs, advanced labs and smart sustainable facilities, as well as support partnerships with global health and tech giants.
Sheba Medical Center, ranked eighth among the world’s best hospitals by Newsweek, is internationally renowned for groundbreaking research; leadership in developing and implementing AI in health systems; advancing cutting-edge digital health solutions; and best-in-class medical care.
Bar-Ilan University has an international reputation as an academic leader due to its influential research in medicine and life sciences, engineering, AI, chemistry and physics, alongside its expertise in data science and bioinformatics, which form the basis for the development of breakthrough drugs and medical technologies.
Zohar Yinon, CEO and senior vice president of Bar-Ilan University: “Sheba and Bar-Ilan’s collaboration is a strategic move designed to position Israel at the forefront of international medical science. The combination of scientific knowledge, clinical expertise and industry partnerships, along with the biotech valley’s advanced laboratories and infrastructure, will make Israel an international center of excellence and central attraction hub for entrepreneurs, scientists, physicians, international companies, incubators and venture capital funds.”
Professor Dror Harats, chairman of the Research Authority at Sheba Medical Center, stated that “Sheba stands at the forefront of medical innovation, and the connection between groundbreaking research and rapid clinical application is critical for developing advanced treatments and maintaining public health. Establishing the joint research institute with an investment of hundreds of millions of shekels is a significant step toward positioning Israeli research as an international leader, enabling us to extend lives and improve the quality of life for many patients in Israel and globally, while simultaneously providing an additional vehicle of growth for the entire Israeli economy.”
Tal Hauptman, real estate manager in the Investment Division at Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings, said that “this unique project has significant potential to be a national growth engine that will attract research bodies from Israel and around the world.”
And Avi Baruch, head of Health Tech Valley administration, added that “the research institute is a significant part of establishing Israel’s health valley. The vision before us is changing the face of medicine in the world through connecting academia, the health industry, researchers and scientists. Sheba’s HTV will attract human capital, investors, entrepreneurs and more.”
