The Office of the Chief Scientist summarizes the activities of 2006
In 2006, the research committee chaired by the chief scientist at TMT, Dr. Eli Ofer, discussed 787 research and development requests submitted by 471 companies with a requested budget of NIS 4.5 billion, of which 592 plans were approved for 371 companies with a budget of NIS 2.2 billion. 917 billion NIS. Out of the approved budget, grants from the Office of the Chief Scientist in the R&D Fund totaled NIS XNUMX million.
Compared to the previous year's data, it appears that in 2005, within the R&D Fund, 737 R&D plans were submitted by 429 companies with a requested investment of 4.3 billion NIS, of which 506 plans of 325 companies were approved with a budget of 1.8 billion NIS and state grants in the amount of 750 million NIS.
The change in 2006 dictates an increase of 22.2% both in the scope of the budget for the studies approved for execution and in the grants approved by the committee in the chief scientist's office.
Below is the list of companies that received the highest grants in 2006 as part of the R&D fund:
Company name - R&D grants in millions of NIS
E.C.I. – 41.4
Applied Materials - 29.5
Teva - 25.5
Elbit Systems (including Al-Op) – 25.2
Alta Systems - 13.6
Sargon Networks – 10.5
Rafael Development Authority - 10.5
Combers Network – 9.9
Orbotek - 9.8
Metalink – 9.6
Below is the distribution of R&D grants by technological classification:
Unique programs operating within the framework of the R&D fund:
A. The support program for traditional industry within the framework of the R&D fund:
The program was launched in October 2005 with the aim of helping traditional industry enterprises to develop a new strategy based on technological differentiation, thereby creating competitive advantages for the enterprise in the local and global market. This initiative will allow the traditional factories to constantly promote and assimilate technological innovation processes. According to the chief scientist, Dr. Eli Ofer, growth must be accelerated in two ways at the same time: (1) the branches of advanced technology (2) traditional branches in order to bring the economy and society to the optimum of growth and the reduction of economic disparities
During 2006, a research committee discussed 80 projects in traditional industry with a requested investment of 150 million NIS and approved 70 programs with a budget of 107 million NIS, and state grants in the amount of 60 million NIS. 60% of the applications submitted are applications from companies, which is their first application to R&D within the Chief Scientist's office.
B. International cooperation within the framework of the R&D fund:
The committee submitted and discussed 107 joint projects with various countries with a requested investment of NIS 300 million (an increase of about 150% compared to 2005) - of which 59 projects with a budget of NIS 117 million and state grants of NIS 54 million were approved.
Magnet program (the program to promote generic technological R&D)
Main activities in 2006:
- Approval of continued activity for 9 associations (consortium).
- Approval and launch of 3 new associations and a project for light metals as part of the efforts of the Office of the Chief Scientist to encourage R&D in traditional industry.
- Approval of 2 rounds of "Magneton" (a program for cooperation between an industrial company and academia) and approval of about 20 studies.
- Continued support for the five user associations operating in Magnat.
- Approval of 24 projects within Nofer
- Activation of the "Katamon" program - a dedicated program to promote the commercialization of water technologies in the State of Israel, as part of the government initiative to promote and encourage this field in the various government ministries. The program will be a tripartite collaboration between researchers from academia, industrial companies and infrastructure companies (such as Mekorot), who will chart directions, advance the technologies and test them under real conditions.
A total of grants approved by the Magnet Committee in various tracks amounted to NIS 204 million.
The technology incubator program
In 2006, the Greenhouse Committee approved 78 new projects for activity in the Greenhouses.
The total budget of the greenhouses in 2006 was NIS 147m.
During the year, 3 greenhouses were privatized:
1. The Kinneret incubator operating in Zemach was privatized by the Ronald Stern Group from Canada, the incubator will focus on the field of water technologies.
2. Hamma L.N. An entrepreneurship from the Haifa Bay that was privatized by the Altshuler-Shaham Group and Ze'ev Braunfeld, the incubator will focus on the field of environmental technologies.
3. The Madimona Plantation Greenhouse is merged into the Mai'an Greenhouse operating in Be'er Sheva, the greenhouse will focus on the fields of materials and national security.
In doing so, the number of privatized greenhouses increased to 15 out of 24 greenhouses.
In the months of January - October 2006, 88 incubator companies raised a total amount of over 170 million dollars.
In addition to them, 2 companies made significant exits:
1. The Uri-Dent company, which only came out of Ashkelon in 2005 and which develops dental crowns made of polymers for children, was purchased by the DentsPly company, which is the largest dental equipment company in the world, for an amount estimated at 100 million dollars in royalties over 10 years.
2. The Sightline company, which was spun off in 1996 from Hatem Altem (which was closed) and which develops medical devices for the early detection of tumors in the digestive tract, was purchased by the medical device company Stryker for $150 million in cash and shares.
It should be noted the Protalix company that came out in 1996 from the Mittov heating system. The company raised about 30 million dollars this year and is facing an IPO on Nasdaq. The company is developing a drug for Gaucher's disease and has reached a very advanced stage in the final stage for approval of the drug by the FDA authorities.
Tnufa (assistance program for start-up technological entrepreneurs)
During the year, the Tanufa Committee discussed 359 applications for pre-R&D grants, of which 133 applications were approved for a total amount of approximately NIS 12,275,000. The distribution of the approved projects according to routes was as follows:
• 113 start-up ventures: intended for inventors, entrepreneurs and start-up companies who wish to bring a new technological idea to industrial realization.
• 8 joint venture projects with multinational corporations: intended for Israeli start-up companies that wish to break into foreign markets, through technological cooperation with multinational corporations, with which the DA has cooperation agreements.
• 6 projects for industrial design: a momentum track for industrial design, intended for industrial designers, who wish to bring a new, defensible design idea to industrial realization.
• 5 projects to upgrade traditional industry: the purpose of this route is to help strengthen the competitiveness of traditional industry enterprises, through the implementation of research and development activities in the enterprise.
• One project in the "Green Movement": the purpose of this track is to enable companies in various industries to adapt their products to advanced environmental standards, accepted in the Western world.
Below is a breakdown of the requested R&D budgets and grant budgets in various tracks of the Office of the Chief Scientist (not including special programs and international activity not within the framework of the R&D fund):
ISERD - the Israeli administration for the European framework program for research and development
ISERD activity in 2006 was carried out simultaneously on two levels. One is the continuation of ongoing activities in the sixth framework program, including activity in front of the last reading voices of the sixth framework program and participation in committees, work plans and first reading voices for the seventh framework program.
On the second level, following the government's decision for Israel's participation in the Seventh Framework Program, Isard worked to consolidate the working method for the Seventh Framework Program
This activity included, among other things, its focus on activities surrounding the negotiations, seminars and training on the program, participation in conferences in Brussels and mapping contacts in leading European organizations (companies and research institutes). The new program, unlike the previous one, will operate for 7 years.
The cost of Israel's participation in the sixth plan is estimated at 191 million euros. The total of research grants received by Israeli entities is estimated at approximately 204 million euros.
The value of the knowledge created from projects with the participation of Israeli industry is estimated at 1.3 billion and 3.6 billion euros total value of projects with Israeli participation.
Special programs in the Office of the Chief Scientist:
• Intensive activity to promote the participation of Israeli companies in the European space program - "Galileo". In 2006, the focus was on promoting the participation of the Israeli industry in tenders for the ground segment, and the beginning of intensive activity in the development of commercial applications based on the use of "Galileo" signals for navigation and positioning.
• Preference for the fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology. The Research Committee in the Office of the Chief Scientist approved giving preference to research that will be done in the fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology, due to the growing importance of these branches in the technological world. The preference of the fields will be carried out by providing a maximum support rate of 50% for an approved program (and not differentially as is possible in other fields and varies between 20% and 50%). The chief scientist points out that the examination of the projects is done within the framework of the accepted criteria, that is, the basis of the decision is based on the quality and degree of innovation in each project.
• R&D centers in academia in the field of nanotechnology - a new aid program whose goal is to create and develop a technological infrastructure for the use of industry, this with a long-term view that countries that invest now in the field of nanotechnology, which is currently in its infancy, will be at the industrial forefront of the developed countries in a few years. In 2005, it was decided to establish the "Russell Berry Nanotechnology Institute" at the Technion. The institute was established with a total investment of US$ 78 million for a period of 5 years, when the partners in establishing the center with identical funding of US$ 26 million each were: the Technion, the Russell Berry Philanthropic Foundation from the USA and the Israeli government.
The financing of the Israeli government was carried out by the members of the Forum for National Infrastructures (TLM Forum): the Office of the Inspector General, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense. Currently, additional R&D centers in nanotechnology are in the process of being established at Bar-Ilan University, the Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute.
• R&D centers in academia in the field of biotechnology - R&D centers in academia in the field of biotechnology - during the year 2005, the Israeli government decided to establish a center for biotechnology at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev. The cost of establishing the center is US$ 90 million, of which government participation amounts to US$ 30 million. Towards the end of 2006, a first call for proposals for the establishment of the center was drawn up and it is expected that in 2007 the necessary processes for the establishment of the center will begin.
