JUNE 2 • 2022 | 53

BUSINESS

L

ast month, the Michigan 
Israel Business 
Accelerator (MIBA) led 
a trade mission to Tel Aviv, 
Israel, to attend EcoMotion, 
the 10th annual conference 
dedicated to smart mobility and 
transportation high-tech.
EcoMotion, a cooperative 
initiative of the Transportation 
Ministry and the Israel 
Innovation Authority, brings 
together startups, investors, 
government and academia 
to push forward Israeli smart 
mobility and transportation 
high-tech companies and 
technologies. 
MIBA led the Michigan 
delegation, along with Paul 
Ajegba, Department of 
Transportation director for the 
state of Michigan, and Trevor 
Pawl, the state of Michigan’s 
chief mobility officer.
“We had a lot of business 
leaders that represent both 
the automotive and mobility 
infrastructure 
along with us,
” said 
Scott Hiipakka, 
MIBA CEO. 
“It was a 
great week of 
meeting various 
infrastructure 
leaders in Israel and automotive 
and mobility partners in Israel, 
including General Motors in 
Israel and the organizations 
that run the city of Tel Aviv’s 

infrastructure networks as well 
as folks that run the Israeli 
highway systems and other 
startups.
” 
The MIBA works to build 
connections between Israeli and 
Michigan partners in hopes that 
they will then build some form 
of a collaboration or agreement 
to help create economic 
prosperity in Michigan by 
bringing Israeli innovation into 
our ecosystem, Hiipakka added.
He said the weeklong 
conference was a success. 
“Thanks to our partners 
at Michigan Economic 
Development Corporation, 
the combined MEDC and 
MIBA Michigan Pavilion, 
that included an ice cream 
trailer, was a huge hit at the 
conference,
” he said, adding that 
Trevor Pawl and Paul Ajegba 
led a fabulous Main Event 
presentation. 
Israeli President Isaac Herzog 
addressed the audience as well, 
expressing his pride in the 
development of Israel’s high-
tech industry. 
 “We wrapped up a great week 
of Israeli innovation, culture 
and opportunities to build 
international partnerships,
” 
Hiipakka said. 
“Michigan’s mobility and 
infrastructure leaders made 
this delegation special. It was 
an honor to travel with each 
delegation participant.
” 

MIBA leads delegation to Israel’s 
EcoMotion conference, laying the 
groundwork for Michigan-Israeli 
collaboration in smart mobility.

Trade Mission 
to Tel Aviv

Scott 
Hiipakka

JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL

Snapshots of the MIBA delegation at the EcoMotion Conference in 
Tel Aviv the week of May 15

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIBA

