Above: View from BGU's Marcus Family Campus of the Advanced Technologies Park (ATP)
The Defense Ministry, the Shikun & Binui Holdings Ltd. and Africa-Israel Investments Ltd. agreed on Sunday to begin construction on a “smart campus" to house IDF logistics units, cyber defense, air force technology and Ofek units, as well as the IDF Southern Command headquarters adjacent to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The signing followed the Ministry's selection of Africa Israel and Shikun & Binui last summer to build and operate the new campus, which will occupy a 180 dunam site and will have 150,000 square meters of built-up space to serve thousands of soldiers and permanent army staff. Today, the Ministry of Defense said the new campus would be constructed as a smart base and would feature innovative design, while being based on advanced infrastructure that would also ensure efficiency in energy consumption. The units whose activity will be transferred to the new campus will vacate land in high-demand areas in central Israel. These areas will be prepared for residential construction in the coming years.
The IDF move, which will place thousands of soldiers and officers in close proximity to both Ben-Gurion University and the Gav Yam Advanced Technologies Park, is expected to lead to a sharp growth in applications to BGU's engineering and hard science programs. That, in turn, will bolster the academia-private sector-military ecosystem in the Negev.
In order to facilitate the expanded demand, an inter-ministerial committee including representatives from the defense and finance ministries, the Prime Minister's Office and the Council for Higher Education, earmarked NIS 55 million to upgrade infrastructure at the site and to absorb additional students and academic faculty ahead of the IDF move.
The military's move to Beer-Sheva will further enhance BGU'S position as anchor of the city's status as Israel's cyber capital, and will play an important role in creating synergy between academic researchers, students and high-tech professionals. To date, the University's commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation has attracted leading international corporations to establish roots in Beer-Sheva, where they enjoy the support of BGU's expertise in cyber defense, information security, robotics, biotechnology, nanotechnology and more.
