A vision of medical innovation in Haifa is underway: The Healthcare Bay, a new strategic initiative in Haifa with the involvement of the Haifa Economic Society and leading bodies from academia, medicine and industry.
A vision for medical innovation in Haifa is underway!
The Healthcare Bay is a strategic initiative of several leading entities in Haifa and the surrounding area, led by Gil Krebs from the Haifa venture capital fund "Tauza", the Haifa Economic Company and leading entities from academia, medicine and industry, to transform the Haifa area into a central hub for medical innovation in Israel and around the world, while focusing resources and collaborations with the aim of building a supportive and comprehensive ecosystem.
As is known, Haifa and its surroundings have a professional medical fabric that includes leading medical centers such as Rambam, Carmel and Bnei Zion, excellent academic institutions with medical faculties such as the Technion and the University of Haifa, and the location of research and development centers of some of the world's largest medical device and medical technology companies such as Philips, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, GE, Abbott, Lonza, and more.
As part of the initiative's development process, the members of the advisory committee met again yesterday, including members such as: Prof. Biar, former director of Rambam, Prof. Peretz Lavi, former president of the Technion, Prof. Ofer Arazi, leader of the entrepreneurship field at the University of Haifa, Prof. Noam Ziv, head of the Human Health Initiative at the Technion, Prof. Moshe Shoham, entrepreneur and owner of Mazor Robotics, Dr. Shimon Eckhuis, serial entrepreneur and founder of Syneron and Luminis, Dr. Dan Wilensky, Dr. Ami Appelbaum, former chairman of the Innovation Authority, and more.
The Haifa Economic Company was represented by senior management, Chairman of the General Assembly Rani Bender, General Assembly Director Hanan Markovich, and Business Development and Innovation Manager Moti Hirsch Meir. The meeting took place at the offices of the main management of Clalit Health Fund, Haifa and Western Galilee District, where the participants received an overview from Ronen Nudelman, District Manager, and Dr. Michael Hauser, District Innovation Manager, about the activity and possibilities for collaborations with large companies and startups in the healthcare field.
Gil Krebs presented a new survey recently conducted among companies in the ecosystem that reveals needs and a high readiness for engagement: Over 60 companies, from the fields of medical devices, medical software, and biotechnology, participated in a survey we conducted to examine needs and areas of interest. The survey shows that the main needs are fundraising, connections to organizations in the US, networking events, and connection to the local ecosystem.
Over 75% of survey respondents expressed willingness to participate in events and receive regular updates – showing that the initiative is welcomed by the entrepreneurial community in the region. It was also found that most companies are willing to contribute to the community through mentoring, knowledge sharing, participation in accelerators, assistance in organizing events and even sharing resources.
Krebs also revealed the The new website.
Rani Bender, Chairman of the Haifa Economic Society, emphasized the economic society's commitment to the medical field and to supporting the initiative, as it is part of the population plan for the Science and High-Tech Park, which is currently being established and is attracting companies with medical technologies and companies that provide complementary services, in continuation of the vision of the mayor, Yona Yahav.
Hanan Markowitz, CEO of the Economic Company, added that the two C+B buildings are nearing completion and will be ready for occupancy in the coming months. The Haifa Economic Company invites companies to tour the buildings and determine their location in the park, which serves as a home for initiatives and research and development centers for both multinational and Israeli companies.