News & Events

BEER-SHEVA, Israel; October 7, 2010 — The Arava group, initiated by the Eilat-Elot municipality and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), recently won a tender from the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor to establish and operate a technology center for renewable energy in the south of the country. The government of Israel and the group will each invest half of $30 million (114 million Shekels) over a five-year period. BGU, represented by BGN Technologies, the University's technology transfer company, has joined the group commitment to invest in the long-term development of industry in the region.

The group includes industrial leaders such as Elbit Systems, Rafael and Ormat; leading investment companies, including ProSeed Venture Capital Fund, Direct Insurance Group and the Consensus Business group; academic and research groups such as BGU and the Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center on the Sede Boqer campus, and the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Authority; private management groups and regional municipalities.   

The Arava Group was selected on the basis of its outstanding record in both R&D and a proven ability to bring new technologies to market. It has been entrusted with the mandate to encourage technological initiatives related to production and improvement of renewable and alternative energy systems. Aid provided will encourage the development of start-ups from the initial stage through research and development until feasibility is achieved.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was established in 1969 with the aim to bring development to the Negev, a desert area comprising more than sixty percent of Israel. With a number of multi-disciplinary research clusters working in complementary fields, BGU has a world-class team positioned to develop innovative renewable energy technologies with commercial applications. University President Prof. Rivka Carmi noted that "Clean industries bring quality jobs and ultimately add to the greater well-being of the region, strengthening the State of Israel while reaffirming its role as a source of creative, green technologies."
BGN Technologies the Technology Transfer Company of Ben-Gurion University responsible for the commercialization of know-how and inventions of the University's researchers will represent BGU in the initiative. According to Netta Cohen, CEO of BGN Technologies, "The Arava Group has all of the components needed to succeed in this emerging field: researchers who work and live in the desert; industrial leaders who have a proven record at opening new markets and a greater overall commitment to succeed for the advancement of the region."