Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi paid a visit to the high tech park in Beersheba in the northern Negev currently under construction that will eventually include 200,000 square feet of office space and create 10,000 new jobs.
High tech giants such as Elbit, Rafael, WIX, Dell, IBM, and others have already set up headquarters in the park.
Minister Ashkenazi clarified the importance of the Negev Desert in Israel's overall development: "We are committed to the move of the IDF's technological units to the Negev, including military intelligence and communication units. I am pleased to see Ben Gurion's vision for the Negev come to life.
"The South will be central to Israel's future infrastructure. With major IDF bases moving South, the connection between the army, this high-tech park and Ben-Gurion University is an important strategic development at the national level," Ashkenazi added.