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

 

