Renewable Research Energy Center to Be Established in Southern Israel
Renewable Research Energy Center to Be Established in Southern Israel
October 4, 2010
Alternative Energy, Press Releases
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL October 4, 2010 — The Arava Group, initiated by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Eilat-Eilot municipality, recently won a tender from the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor to establish and operate a technology center for renewable energy in the south of the country.
BGU, represented by BGN Technologies, the University’s technology transfer company, has joined the group commitment to invest in the long-term development of industry in the region.
The group includes industrial leaders such as Elbit Systems, Rafael and Ormat; leading investment companies, including ProSeed Venture Capital Fund, Direct Insurance Group and the Consensus Business group; academic and research groups such as BGU and the Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center on the Sde Boker campus, and the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Authority; private management groups and regional municipalities.
The Arava Group was selected on the basis of its outstanding record in both research and development and a proven ability to bring new technologies to market. It has been entrusted with the mandate to encourage technological initiatives related to production and improvement of renewable and alternative energy systems. Aid provided will encourage the development of start-ups from the initial stage through research and development until feasibility is achieved.
Ben-Gurion University was established in 1969 to bring development to the Negev, a desert area comprising more than 60 percent of Israel. With a number of multidisciplinary research clusters working in complementary fields, BGU has a world-class team positioned to develop innovative renewable energy technologies with commercial applications.
University President Prof. Rivka Carmi noted that “clean industries bring quality jobs and ultimately add to the greater well-being of the region, strengthening the State of Israel while reaffirming its role as a source of creative, green technologies.”
The government of Israel and the group will each invest half of $30 million (114 million Shekels) over a five-year period.
BGN Technologies, responsible for the commercialization of know-how and inventions of Ben-Gurion University’s researchers, will represent BGU in the initiative.
According to Netta Cohen, chief executive officer of BGN Technologies, “The Arava Group has all of the components needed to succeed in this emerging field: researchers who work and live in the desert; industrial leaders who have a proven record at opening new markets; and a greater overall commitment to succeed for the advancement of the region.”
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
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