Israel’s financial newspaper of record, Globes, carried several stories this month about Israel’s expanding involvement in international technological research and development. The stories also reveal Israel’s position as a desirable partner for such R&D projects.
Israel, reports Globes, will be joining the Sixth European Framework Program for R&D this month. The decision to accept Israel into the program was announced by the European Commission on May 6; an official ceremony is scheduled for the end of May. The program lasts for four years and will now be open to Israeli companies.
In addition to joining a European multilateral framework for research and development projects, Israel is establishing a bilateral joint R&D fund with the US state of New York. Globes reported that the agreement on the creation of the fund was reached during the visit of Minister of Industry & Trade Ehud Olmert to New York this month. The fund, according to Ministry of Industry & Trade's Chief Scientist Dr. Opper, will finance joint R&D projects of New York- and Israel-based hi-tech companies. The New York-Israel R&D fund is meant to be the first of many such agreements with American state governments. The ATID-EDI financial and economic news service notes that Israel already has several such R&D cooperation funds operating jointly with various countries, including Singapore and Russia.
Israel and India, which have been steadily expanding their economic relations through bilateral agreements since 1992, will be establishing a joint trade committee of representatives from both countries in the last quarter of 2003. Minister of Industry & Trade Ehud Olmert and India's Ambassador to Israel, R. S. Jassal, who met recently, see the committee as an effective way to deepen commercial ties between the two countries, in addition to an exchange of delegations in the telecommunications and agro-technology fields. Globes noted important agreements signed by Israel and India, including a most-favored nation (MFN) agreement, a treaty for preventing double taxation, an agreement for protecting investments, a customs authorities cooperation agreement, industrial R&D cooperation, and an agricultural pilot in New Delhi for agribusiness cooperation and R&D. Annual trade between the two countries has risen in the past decade from $200m to $1.2b, with Israeli exports to India growing 28% in one year (2002) and imports growing 57% in the same period.
Israel, reports Globes, will be joining the Sixth European Framework Program for R&D this month. The decision to accept Israel into the program was announced by the European Commission on May 6; an official ceremony is scheduled for the end of May. The program lasts for four years and will now be open to Israeli companies.
In addition to joining a European multilateral framework for research and development projects, Israel is establishing a bilateral joint R&D fund with the US state of New York. Globes reported that the agreement on the creation of the fund was reached during the visit of Minister of Industry & Trade Ehud Olmert to New York this month. The fund, according to Ministry of Industry & Trade's Chief Scientist Dr. Opper, will finance joint R&D projects of New York- and Israel-based hi-tech companies. The New York-Israel R&D fund is meant to be the first of many such agreements with American state governments. The ATID-EDI financial and economic news service notes that Israel already has several such R&D cooperation funds operating jointly with various countries, including Singapore and Russia.
Israel and India, which have been steadily expanding their economic relations through bilateral agreements since 1992, will be establishing a joint trade committee of representatives from both countries in the last quarter of 2003. Minister of Industry & Trade Ehud Olmert and India's Ambassador to Israel, R. S. Jassal, who met recently, see the committee as an effective way to deepen commercial ties between the two countries, in addition to an exchange of delegations in the telecommunications and agro-technology fields. Globes noted important agreements signed by Israel and India, including a most-favored nation (MFN) agreement, a treaty for preventing double taxation, an agreement for protecting investments, a customs authorities cooperation agreement, industrial R&D cooperation, and an agricultural pilot in New Delhi for agribusiness cooperation and R&D. Annual trade between the two countries has risen in the past decade from $200m to $1.2b, with Israeli exports to India growing 28% in one year (2002) and imports growing 57% in the same period.