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Public/Private Cyber Center Established with BGU

Public/Private Cyber Center Established with BGU

October 2, 2014

Homeland & Cyber Security, Press Releases

BEER-SHEVA, Israel, October 2, 2014 — BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of BGU, EMC Corporation, and Jerusalem Venture Partners recently announced the CyberSpark Industry Initiative, which will serve as a coordinating body for joint cyber industry activities with government agencies, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) and academia.

The CyberSpark booth at the Cyber Tech conference in Tel AvivThe initiative will promote and market the region as a global cyber center, encourage joint academia-industry research studies, support the development of plans to recruit and develop human resources in the field, and create incentive plans to encourage other companies, both international and Israeli, to establish a presence in the region.

BGU is a central component of the new CyberSpark initiative, a complete ecosystem with all the components for global leadership in the cyber field. It is the only complex of its type in the world that is a government-academic-industry partnership and includes Fortune 500 companies and cyber-incubators, academic researchers and educational facilities, as well as national government and security agencies.

Roni Zehavi, high-tech entrepreneur and Israel Air Force test pilot has been appointed managing director. The company’s board of directors will be comprised of representatives of the founding companies and a public board will be created comprised of key players in the Israeli economy in the fields of education, government, academia, culture, and technology.

Netta Cohen, chief executive officer of BGN Technologies says, “BGU is a significant and active player in developing the Negev. The collaboration will strengthen the momentum of rapid development of the region. Seven years from now, there will be 11,000 people working in the cyber and high-tech industries in Beer-Sheva.”

Member of Knesset Erel Margalit who oversees the public board and is the founder of JVP adds, “We don’t want it to be the best place for cyber security in Israel, we want it to be the best place for cyber security in the world.”

According to Dr. Orna Berry, vice president for growth and innovation for EMC’s Centers of Excellence, “After forging the path as pioneers in the development of Beer-Sheva as an international high-tech and cyber zone, it is clear to us that realizing the vision and the transition from words to deeds requires an active high level of involvement on the part of local and international industry in the field. Creating the joint company is a necessary process to implement the operational plan to promote the cyber campus in Beer-Sheva.”

ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY

By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.

About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.

We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.

BGU at a glance:  

20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.

 

For all press inquiries, please contact:

James Fattal, J Cubed Communications

516.289.1496

[email protected]