Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), the University of Arizona (UA), and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) have formed a trilateral agreement to cooperate on research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The agreement was signed during a visit earlier this month by delegations from the two universities while visiting BGU. The innovative agreement also includes knowledge sharing and collaboration between BGU's Advanced Technologies Park (ATP), UA Tech Parks Arizona in Tucson and UNAM's hi-tech initiatives.
The new framework will encourage innovation in five main areas: developing joint projects, cooperation between the three technology transfer companies of the universities, joint development of applied research, ties to industry, and developing ties between the universities' hi-tech parks and hi-tech initiatives.
The three institutions have several similarities, such as research interests and climates that demand meeting similar challenges. The UA Arizona Tech Park is similar to the Advanced Technologies Park in Beer-Sheva that BGU help found in partnership with the city.
“This trilateral agreement leverages regional assets and international outposts providing a complementary package of resources to innovators worldwide," said Bruce Wright, Associate Vice President, Tech Parks Arizona. “It is part of our Arizona Global Advantage (GA) a strategic business development program designed to attract fast growth technology companies to the Arizona-Sonora Region and was created to foster an economy that is borderless and unconstrained, and dependent upon innovation and the ability to move product to global markets rapidly."
In addition to meeting with many BGU researchers, the delegations met BGN Technologies, BGU's technology company as well as the heads of the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, the Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, and the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research.
“This agreement expands our fruitful collaboration with the UA and is an exciting addition to the other growing collaborations with U.S. universities," said BGU Vice President and Dean of Research & Development Dan Blumberg who will be responsible for the research collaborations. “This agreement brings together excellent universities that we can learn from, while sharing our experience and knowledge with them to benefit each of their surrounding populations."
“When leading global universities develop long-term connections and seek to deepen research and commercial cooperation to benefit from our accumulated knowledge, it is further proof that BGU is a leader in Israeli academia in the fields of innovation, technology and collaborations with knowledge-intensive industries," said BGU's Vice President and Director-General David Bareket, who will lead the collaborations between the hi-tech parks and the hi-tech initiatives “This developing cooperation between the hi-tech parks and the hi-tech initiatives is innovative and unique worldwide."
Regarding the signing of the trilateral agreement formed with the University of Arizona and Ben-Gurion University, the Vice-president of Innovation and Technology Transfer at UNAM, Juan Manuel Romero, commented: "The fact that we have had the opportunity to sign this agreement will allow us to complement and strengthen capabilities among the three universities. This means, that we will be able to carry out joint research, business development with an international perspective and exchange of best practices. Undoubtedly, our communities will be greatly benefited by this initiative".
