The Hon. Gina M. Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island, visited BGU yesterday (Tuesday) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on joint innovation and entrepreneurship. BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz represented the University.
The agreement between BGU and the state of Rhode Island calls for encouraging a strong collaboration and cogeneration of business startups, valuable high-tech internships and job opportunities with Rhode Island's leading public and private universities. It also calls for collaboration between Rhode Island's new innovation campuses, RIHub, and BGU's Advanced Technologies Park (ATP), a unique partnership between BGU, the Beer-Sheva municipality and the private sector that provides opportunities for collaboration and job opportunities for BGU students and graduates. Many prominent multinational corporations have already established centers of excellence in the ATP. RIHub is located within the Providence CIC complex at the Wexford innovation building in Providence, Rhode Island.
"Since the start of my administration, I have prioritized the revitalization of our economy and worked to ensure that Rhode Island is known for innovation and economic opportunity," said Gov. Raimondo. “We have seen great economic momentum in recent years, and we have the potential for even more economic growth. We are pleased to be entering a partnership with our valued colleagues at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. This partnership will provide access to international expertise and global resources, and it will forge collaborations well into the future. We look forward to many years of partnership and progress together."
"Today we are signing an agreement to cooperate on innovation and entrepreneurship, to bring together BGU's Advanced Technologies Park, BGU's YAZAMUT 360 entrepreneurship program and RIHub, Rhode Island's new innovation center," said BGU's Prof. Chamovitz. "I want to thank our mutual supporters who brought us together to this next step after five years of laying the groundwork."
Also present at the signing were Prof. Limor Aharonson-Daniel, vice president for global engagement, Prof. Dan Blumberg, vice president for regional and industrial development and Jeff Kaye, vice president for public affairs and resource development.
In addition to Profs. Chamovitz and Blumberg, the governor met with Prof. Carmel Sofer, chairman of BGU's YAZAMUT 360 for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center and Dana Gavish-Fridman, head of entrepreneurship at BGU, as well as representatives from Dell-EMC, IBM, Tech 7, Morphisec, and serial entrepreneur Ziv Ofek.
The governor is in Israel leading a group of Democratic governors to Israel on an economic development and policy mission. The delegation will be meeting with policy experts, elected officials and entrepreneurs to strengthen their relationships with the State of Israel and build new partnerships with its business community.
Media Coverage:
The Times of Israel
CTech Calcalist
Providence Journal
Jewish News Syndicate
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