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Research and innovation
News article22 April 2021Tel AvivDirectorate-General for Research and Innovation

EU Delegation to Israel celebrates 25 years of successful EU-Israel R&I collaboration

Photo from the Event
Ms. Shai-Lee Shpigelman, Director General, Ministry of Science and Technology, Emanuele Giaufret, EU Ambassador to Israel and Ms. Yael Ravia Zadok, Deputy Director General, head of the Economic Diplomacy Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The European Union Delegation to the State of Israel on 21 April 2021 hosted a special event in Tel Aviv to mark 25 years of successful EU-Israel collaboration in the field of research and innovation.

The event, attended by European ambassadors, Israeli government officials and Research & Innovation stakeholders, marked a quarter century of growing R&I ties that started when Israel became associated to the fourth EU Framework Programme for Research in 1996.

“Since then, about 5,000 research contracts were signed as part of our cooperation, more than 6,000 participants, and about 1,000 SMEs for 2.5 billion in total of EU funding for research and innovation to which Israel also was an outstanding financial contributor,” Signe Ratso, the Deputy Director-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission, said in a recorded message screened at the event.

“Behind the numbers, the true value of our cooperation is in terms of shared concerns and common goals. We can mention projects in the area of biotechnology to fight climate changes, or new ways to ensure safe and drinkable fresh water, innovation in agriculture, safer transportation, new drugs discovery and better public health,” Ratso added.

EU Ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret noted in his remarks that Israel was one of the most successful non-EU participants in the union’s outgoing flagship R&I program Horizon 2020.

“Some 1,600 Israel-based projects received a total of 1.36 billion Euro in funding in the framework of Horizon 2020,” he said. “We value our partnership a great deal. Israel’s significant contributions to global science and innovation are indisputable. A number of Israeli world-class scientists have made outstanding contributions in numerous scientific areas.

More information

International cooperation with Israel

Details

Publication date
22 April 2021
Author
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Location
Tel Aviv