Avi Berger, Head of the Space Program Office at the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), addressed the International DefenseTech Summit led by the IMOD’s DDR&D, in collaboration with the Yuval Ne'eman workshop for Science, Technology & Security at Tel Aviv University at Tel Aviv University.
Berger further stated: “The Israeli satellite constellation was a full partner in all operational activity before, during, and after Operation Rising Lion. Over the 12 days of war, we collected tens of millions of square kilometers of extremely high-quality imagery, day and night. Targets were built in real time, and critical communications were provided with high availability to support strike operations discreetly and without risking our forces.
“The war with Iran has further sharpened our understanding that we must dramatically increase investment in developing and maintaining Israeli superiority over our adversaries in space. In accordance with the Ministry's strategy, our objective for the coming years is that Israeli space capabilities will be present at every point in the Middle East, collecting intelligence and providing alerts - around the clock and in all weather conditions. Space is a decisive component in ensuring the IDF's freedom of action."
Key participants includeed Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, IMOD Director General; Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, Head of the DDR&D; Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, Conference Chairman and Director of the Blavatnik ICRC at Tel Aviv University; Brig. Gen. Benny Aminov, Head of the DDR&D’s Military R&D unit; Avi Berger, Head of the DDR&D’s Space Program Office; Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Alon, Managing Partner at Elements Venture Capital; Michael Dodd, U.S. Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies and Acting Deputy Director of the Defense Innovation Unit; Dame Fiona Murray, Associate Dean of Innovation at MIT School of Management; Shaun Maguire, Partner at Sequoia Capital; Dr. Christian Steinborn, Head of Business Development Start-Up Activities at Rheinmetall AG; Francois Chopard, CEO & Founder of Starburst; and many other senior officials from Israel and worldwide.
Col. Yishai Kohn, Head of the Planning, Economics & IT Department at the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), also stated at the conference: “It is a significant challenge to reach first place, but an even greater challenge to remain there. The defense-Tech ecosystem that took shape during this war is a global leader in innovation and technology, and we have an obligation to continue developing it and preserving that leadership."
“Evidence of a thriving and evolving ecosystem is found in private investment in the sector. For the first time this year, private investment in defense startups has surpassed government investment. This is a testament to investor confidence in an emerging market - not only from a security perspective, but also economically - and it is key to strengthening both Israel's security and economy. The two are inextricably linked.
“Companies that have partnered with the DDR&D have raised capital or completed exits in the past year, totaling over $1 billion. This is the result of collaboration between the private and public sectors, delivering innovation and solutions to our defense establishment while generating significant economic benefits for the private market. In light of all this, next year we will allocate a double-digit percentage of our R&D budget to activities with startups and small-to-medium enterprises," Kohn said.