Israeli consul Yariv Becher and MIBB President Hannan Lis attended the event.

Strengthening Ties

Michigan and Israel sign pact to promote
joint research and development projects.

M

•

ichigan Gov. Rick Snyder
and Consul General of Israel
to the Midwest Roey Gilad
signed a bilateral cooperation agree-
ment June 16 in Lansing to promote
joint industrial research and develop-
ment projects. The pact will promote
and enhance the economic partnership
between Michigan and Israel, calling for
issuance of a request for proposals (RFP)
from for-profit business collaborations
between Michigan and Israeli companies.
"This is a breakthrough opportunity
between Michigan and Israel, two cen-
ters of global leadership in technology
research and development, in a moment
in history that values innovation,"
Snyder said. "Our shared entrepreneur-
ial spirit and technology leadership
combine for a broad range of possibili-
ties across a range of industries, such as
automotive, cyber security, water tech-
nologies, life sciences and defense:'
The signing comes a year after Snyder
led a delegation to Israel where he met
with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and other senior government leaders.
Snyder visited Israel with members of
the Michigan Economic Development
Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan
Israel Business Bridge (MIBB), an organi-
zation that facilitates business and invest-
ment opportunities between Michigan
and Israel for their mutual economic
benefit.

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June 26 • 2014

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The Michigan Israel Business Bridge
received funding from the Israel Economic
Mission, specifically through the Midwest
office, which will allow it to increase its
efforts to connect Israeli and Michigan
businesses.
The Israel Consul for Economic &
Commercial Affairs sees the benefits to
bringing and setting up business relation-
ships in Michigan. The funding will allow
for personal attention to set meetings,
tours and conferences for economic devel-
opment.
Pam Lippitt, MIBB executive direc-
tor, looks forward to the ability to have
dedicated staff and opportunities to reach
out to companies in the areas of overlap

between Michigan and Israel. "There is
no question that R&D in Israel affects our
everyday lives:' she said. "This funding
allows us to share that message in the
Michigan business community:'

Shared Opportunities

The signing of the agreement between
Michigan and Israel followed an all-day
cyber sharing workshop in Dearborn for
Michigan public and private IT execu-
tives and featured experts from Israel and
Michigan. It was hosted by David Behen,
director of the Michigan Department of
Technology Management and Budget
(DTMB) and Michigan chief information
officer. Snyder and Gilad were joined at
the signing by Yariv Becher, Israel's con-
sul for economic & commercial affairs,
Behen, Michael Finney, president and
CEO of MEDC, and Hannan Lis, presi-
dent of MIBB.
"The state of Michigan, under the
leadership of Gov. Rick Snyder, became
a model for all the Midwest in the depth
and the breadth of its economic partner-
ship with the State of Israel," Gilad said.
"It is not a coincidence that the agree-
ment is being signed today during a
special workshop that Israeli experts con-
ducted in Michigan on cyber security. We
expect cyber security, together with auto-
motive, defense and water technology, to
be in the center of this partnership:'
The agreement, modeled after
a similar pact between Israel and
Massachusetts, calls for joint research
and development projects between Israeli
and Michigan companies and provides
the conceptual framework for the issu-
ance of joint RFP. Proposals will undergo
a review conducted jointly by the MEDC
and the Israel Office of the Chief Scientist
(OCS).
No specific date has been set for the
launch of the RFP. It is expected to be
issued in coming months and no later
than the end of October 2014.
"Our natural partnership with the
Israel Economic Mission to the Midwest
has now grown to the next level as we
continue to work together to encourage
Michigan-Israel collaborations in business,
research and investment," Lis said.

❑

