Today, the UK and Israel will sign an innovation and tech collaboration agreement following a meeting between science ministers in London.
As part of the deal, the UK and Israel will commit to supplying £1.7m in support for joint tech projects covering advanced research areas, including quantum computing.
The agreement is part of a longstanding goal for the UK to form tech and innovation partnerships internationally. Recent examples include agreements with India, Japan, Switzerland, and South Africa.
Building a network of global tech collaborations
“Israel is known as the startup nation for good reason. From its world-leading approach to R&D to its flourishing biotech, cyberspace, and agritech sectors, it is truly one of the world’s most innovative economies,” said George Freeman, Minister for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
He added: “That’s why I prioritised Israel as one of our first priority R&D collaborations in our network of global collaborations.
“The deal will attract investment and support the global impact of UK innovation as part of our science superpower mission.”
The UK and Israel collaboration will be structured in the standard three pillars of research, commercialisation, and bilateral government priorities.
UK and Israel deal will support tech superpower goals
Israel has one of the world’s highest expenditures on R&D, which has led to a thriving technology ecosystem featuring startup successes such as website builder Wix and map company Waze, which was acquired by Google in 2013.
Ofir Akunis of Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, commented: “I believe this signing will contribute significantly to the scientific and technological cooperation and networking between scientists and entrepreneurs in both our countries.
“The UK and Israel have developed excellent, cutting-edge technology in many fields over the years.
“This collaboration will not only benefit our scientific communities but will also benefit the broader economy and security of our nations.”
The agreement comes just weeks after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s agreement with the EU for the UK to participate in the Horizon Europe scientific research programme.
