BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, VP for Regional Development Prof. Dan Blumberg, Beer-Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich, Ministry of Defense Southern Relocation Administration head Brig. Gen. (res.) Itzik Cohen and BGU Director General Mr. David Bareket cut the ribbon on the campus' first building Wednesday.
The two-floor, 400 square meter structure will serve as the administrative center overseeing the construction of the campus, which will eventually occupy about 150,000 square meters of building space spread over 180 dunams next door to the BGU Advanced Technologies Park (ATP). The smart campus will include advanced, eco-friendly energy and technology infrastructure to benefit the greater Beer-Sheva region including the local municipality, BGU and local industry. Construction will include collaboration with the private sector, including the Africa-Israel Group.
BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz said "The future growth and development of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev into the North Campus is intimately tied to our growing relationship with the nascent IDF technology and intelligence bases springing up in and around Beer-Sheva. The dedication of the first building of the IDF's new tech campus is the harbinger of great developments which will bring thousands of outstanding soldiers to this base, many of whom will also complete degrees at BGU in parallel with their service. I am looking forward to watching the rest of the army's tech campus grow, and of course to overseeing BGU's collaboration with the military as the units themselves move south."
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Photo Credit: Ministry of Defense
Beer-Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich added "Today will go down as a landmark in the history of Israel. Our country has begun implementing a dramatic decision, one that will turn the city of Beer-Sheva into an international center. Knowledge, groundbreaking technology and the best human capital in the world all come together in the Negev.
"The connection between the IDF Technology Campus, our national Cyber Security Research Center, elite intelligence units, the hi-tech park, the Innovation Quarter, Ben-Gurion University and Soroka University Medical Center will lead to technological breakthroughs, scientific discoveries and a world-class economy. This will allow our inquisitive minds to flourish and nourish the ideas that will change reality for all of humanity and will characterize the future of the entire world. Today Beer-Sheva has become a technology anchor for the country and a center of knowledge for the entire world!"
Brig. Gen. (res.) Itzik Cohen said: We are issuing four tenders for the construction of infrastructure… to create the smart campus we are bringing groundbreaking technologies that will serve the needs of thousands of soldier from the most elite IDF units. This infrastructure has the ability to reinforce the army's operational capabilities. At the same time, the collaboration between academia, the private sector, local government and the army will turn the Negev into Israel's cyber capital ."
BGU's Advanced Technology Park | Dani Machlis/BGU
The establishment of the IDF technology campus adjacent to Ben-Gurion University and the BGU Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) represents the third element in the cyber-technology "eco-system." Collaboration between academia, the private sector and the IDF is a cornerstone of Israel's technology prowess and realizing Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's vision of the Negev region as an economic, cultural and scientific driver for the State of Israel and the international community. The IDF technology campus will bring the best minds in Israel to Beer-Sheva.
As an academic institution that is committed to innovation and entrepreneurship Ben-Gurion University of the Negev plays a central role in the development of Beer-Sheva as a center of cyber research in Israel and a critical resource for many international corporations in the areas of cybersecurity, robotics, medical technology, bio- and nanotechnology and more.
