Tel-Hai Magazine 2023-2024

Positioning the Galilee as a key player in the AgriFood-Tech industry The Israel AgriFood-Tech Valley Cluster Management

The Northern AgriFood-Tech Ecosystem The success of the Galilee as an Agri Food-Tech hub is rooted in its ability to harness the strengths of the region and leverage its local resources, expertise, and knowledge towards making impactful advancements that position the Galilee as a key player in the national and global AgriFood-Tech industry. In the years prior to the war, Israel’s northern AgriFood-Tech Valley had grown rapidly, encompassing over 82 startup companies, 1,300 industrialists and a robust network of research institu tions specializing in AgriFood-Tech. With its unique micro-climates, diverse soils, and strong academic and research infrastructure based on Tel-Hai College and the MIGAL Research Institute, the Galilee had attracted over 100 research ers conducting applied research in these fields. Sharon Engel Adam, who served as the AgriFood-Tech Valley’s General

The Israel AgriFood-Tech Valley is one of the most promising voluntary initiatives of regional development established in recent years. Its mission: to advance the economic development of northern Israel by fostering a thriving AgriFood-Tech ecosystem in the region and to position the Galilee and Israel as a global center of innovation and excellence in food technology, smart agriculture and food security. The cluster management was established in 2022 as a voluntary partnership comprised of 14 local partners from the academic, public, business, and social sectors of the Eastern Galilee region: Tel-Hai College; MIGAL Galilee Research Institute; The Eastern Galilee Regional Cluster; The Upper Galilee Regional ; Council, Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council; The Kiryat Shmona Municipality; The Galilee Development Corporation; The Golan Economic

Association; Fresh Start Foodtech Incubator, Mérieux NutriSciences; Margalit Startup City Galilee ; Beyachad — The Stella and Yoel Carasso Family Foundation (the anchor investor in the partnership) ; Rashi Foundation ; and the Lauder Employment Center. By providing a holistic regional over view, this multi-sectoral partnership works collaboratively to engage govern ment authorities in promoting the north ern AgriFood-Tech ecosystem. Working with a bottom-up approach, the Cluster Management is able to gather data that allows it to identify and address challeng es relevant specifically to the Galilee eco system. The AgriFood-Tech cluster man agement also operates to attract researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors from Israel and worldwide. It coordi nates government relations, conducts policy research, and develops informed policy recommendations to optimize col laboration with government ministries and advance the common interests of all sectors.

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