What You Should Know:
– Bar-Ilan University and Sheba Medical Center have announced the establishment of a joint research institute.
– The $120M institute will serve as a bridge between academia, healthcare, and industry to accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries into clinical treatments. It will be located within Sheba’s new Health Tech Valley (HTV) in Ramat Gan, which is owned by Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings.
Biotech Institue Focus Areas
The new biotech institute will focus on areas such as cancer research, 3D printing of organs and tissues, and the development of advanced medical devices. It will draw on specialized laboratories for computational biology, AI for medical data, medical robotics, and genetic engineering. The research ecosystem is also designed to advance the development of advanced sensor technologies and microbiome research, which will pave the way for more personalized medical treatments.
A New Model for Medical Innovation
According to Prof. Arie Zaban, President of Bar-Ilan University, the establishment of the institute fits into the broader picture of Israel’s biotechnology boom. He noted that this collaboration will “significantly accelerate the transition from laboratory discovery to clinical application”.
Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center, said that the ecosystem being built in Sheba’s Health Tech Valley positions Israeli research at the global forefront and realizes a vision where the healthcare system serves as a powerful growth engine for the economy and industry.
The institute will be managed by a joint steering committee and will operate in a model similar to the American NIH (National Institutes of Health). The goal is to shorten the path from laboratory to medical practice, enabling faster development of new drugs, innovative treatments, and advanced diagnostic tools.
Uniting Expertise and Capital
The establishment of the institute is the result of a years-long collaboration between Bar-Ilan University and Sheba Medical Center that has already yielded several startups and life-saving treatments. The two organizations are calling upon all research entities in Israel and across the world to take part in the innovative research institute.
Zohar Yinon, CEO and Senior Vice President of Bar-Ilan University, stated that the collaboration is a strategic move to position Israel at the forefront of international medical science. He noted that the combination of scientific knowledge, clinical expertise, and industry partnerships will make Israel an international “center of excellence” for entrepreneurs, scientists, physicians, and venture capital funds.
