28 | OCTOBER 14 • 2021

T

he Michigan Israel
Business Accelerator
(MIBA) is about
one thing — positioning
Michigan in the premier
partnership role for Israeli
innovation.
It accomplish-
es its goal by
what its CEO
Scott Hiipakka
calls the “3 C’s”:
• connects
• connections and
• collaborations.
“Because we
work statewide, we focus
among all the different
partners across Michigan
to build connections
that ultimately yield
collaborations that
will create jobs or
create some form
of economic oppor-
tunity for our state,”
Hiipakka said.
As part of that work,
MIBA launched a program
of “Experience Innovation”
Webinars this summer to
answer the question: In a
post-COVID world, what do
Michigan businesses need?
“It’s not so much hand
sanitizer and masks, right?”
Hiipakka said. “It’s about
ways to grow efficiency,
leveraging staff talent and
building an ecosystem that
is more and more connect-
ed. It’s no longer about
geographic boundaries. It’s
about partnerships.”

For each webinar, MIBA
selects four or five Israeli
companies to present to any
interested party in the pub-
lic or private sector. Each
company has about eight
minutes to make its pitch,
followed by a Q&A. “The
whole program lasts a little
bit less than an hour. It’s
almost like speed dating for
innovation,” Hiipakka said.
The first Webinar, held in
June, focused on Industry
4.0. The second one, held in
September, focused on clean
tech, climate tech and

the circular economy, and it
resulted in over 50 connec-
tions being made between
Michigan and Israeli com-
panies, he added. The next
Webinar is planned for
November; the topic is still
being decided.

INNOVATION CENTERS
OF EXCELLENCE
“We’re focused on build-
ing strong partnerships
throughout the state
through our Innovation

Centers of Excellence,”
Hiipakka said. “Don’t think
of them as brick-and-mor-
tar structures; it is more like
a coalition of the willing
— those partners who see
Israeli innovation and rec-
ognize what it represents to
our state.”
Those Innovation
Centers, launched in 2020-
2021, include:
• Industry 4.0 Accelerator
(in partnership with
Centrepolis Accelerator at
Lawrence Technological
University in Southfield),
which focuses on advanced
engineering;
• Cleantech, Climatech
& Circular Economy
Accelerator, (also
launched in partnership
with Centrepolis), which
focuses on sustainability;
• MedHealth Gateway
Program (in partnership
with MedHealth-TechTown)
focusing on life sciences;
• and FARM Incubator
(launched in partner-
ship with the West
Michigan Food Processing
Association and Michigan
State University) focusing
on food and agriculture.
Two new programs are
in the planning stage, to
concentrate on defense and
mobility.

PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION
“The Industry 4.0
Accelerator is focused on

MIBA launches “Innovation Centers of Excellence”
to harness Israeli ingenuity to help Michigan grow.
Building Partnerships

JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL
A Taste of
Two Nations

The Michigan Israel Business
Accelerator will host its
annual inaugural fund-
raiser, co-chaired by Beth
Chappell and Mark Davidoff,
Thursday, Oct. 28, at the
Townsend Hotel Ballroom in
Birmingham.
A VIP Reception takes
place from 5-6 p.m., followed
by wine tasting until 8 p.m.
The program, which will
recognize MIBA partners in
innovation across the state
of Michigan, will begin at 7
p.m. The evening includes
a strolling dinner as well as
a silent auction. Tickets are
$100 for members and $150
for non-members. Register at
www.eventbrite.com/e/taste-
of-two-nations-
tickets-172862876517.
“This is something we’ve
wanted to do for a while but
couldn’t because of COVID,”
said the MIBA’s Veronica
Hanna-Senger. “I’m really
looking forward to getting to
meet people in person that
I’ve been in correspondence
with for over a year now.
“And we’re looking forward
to growing our partnerships,
both within and outside of
the Jewish community.”
Sponsorships for the event
are also available. Contact
veronica@michiganisrael.com
or (810) 300-9130.
Because of COVID con-
cerns, the Townsend Hotel
staff will be masked. All
non-vaccinated guests are
asked to wear masks as well.

Scott
Hiipakka

partners across Michigan

As part of that work,

MIBA launched a program

engineering;

• Cleantech, Climatech

& Circular Economy

Accelerator, (also
launched in partnership
with Centrepolis), which
focuses on sustainability;

• MedHealth Gateway

Program (in partnership
with MedHealth-TechTown)
focusing on life sciences;

business SPOTlight

brought to you in partnership with
B I R M I N G H A M