KKL-JNF World Chairman Daniel Atar: "This is a reality-changing step."
Prof. Shimon Gefstein, President of the Kinneret Academic College: "We are making significant steps towards furthering northern Israel in the fields of hitech and engineering."
Mr. Tal Yeshua, Chairman of Zemach Regional Industries: "The Jordan Valley is advancing towards being positioned as a national and global agro-tech center."
Attendees of the ceremony toast the signing of the agreement. (Photo: Yossi Zliger, KKL-JNF Photo Archive)
At the KKL-JNF offices in Modi'in, an partnership agreement for building the Kinneret Innovation Center was signed on Wednesday, 02 September 2020, between KKL-JNF, Tzemah Regional Industries and the Kinneret Academic College. Present at the signing ceremony were KKL-JNF World Chairman Daniel Atar, Kinneret Academic College Administrative Committee Chairman Ilan Biran, College President Professor Shimon Gefstein, College Executive Director Mickey Lev, Zemach Regional Industries Chairman Tal Yeshua, Zemach CEO Menashe Shalom, Emek Yarden Regional Council Head Idan Greenbaum, Innovation Center Chairman Kalman Kaufman, and additional KKL-JNF and Kinneret College senior officials.
"Zemach – Kinneret KKL-JNF House" Innovation and Hitech Park and Science House is on its way as part of KKL-JNF's "Israel 2040" vision, thanks to an investment of approximately 50 million shekels. Zemach-Kinneret KKL-JNF House will become an innovation hub and central data center for the Galilee. The Center will enable entrepreneurs, students and researchers to become professional in the fields of agro-tech, food-tech and water, and will impact the creation of about 10,000 jobs based on technology and innovation for core employees who will earn top salaries. The center will attract international collaborations, companies and investors who will work towards furthering and developing the region and strengthening Israel's status as a hi-tech world power.
At the signing ceremony, KKL-JNF World Chariman Daniel Atar said that " this is a very moving moment and an occasion we have all been waiting for – a collaboration between academia, a business entity and KKL-JNF. In the future, I hope that the government of Israel will also be a partner to this enterprise. The establishment of the innovation center is a reality-changing step. This site will be the flagship."
Kinneret College President Professor Shimon Gefstein: "Cooperation between the Kinneret College, Zemach Regional Industries and KKL-JNF is creating a better future for students specifically and residents of northern Israel in general. We are making significant steps towards advancing the north in the fields of high-tech and engineering, which will make it possible to transform the Jordan Valley into the Silicon Valley of northern Israel, and maybe even of the entire country. The agreement that was sign today is yet another important step towards achieving these goals."
Zemach Regional Industries Chairman Tal Yeshua: "This is a very moving occasion, the Jordan Valley is advancing towards being positioned as a national and global agro-tech center, which everyone will profit from – local residents, agriculture, industry and the state of Israel. Thank you to all our partners, who, together with us, have transformed a vision into reality."