BGU to participate in Israel Innovation Authority Flagship R&D Program

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers will participate in one of three newly launched Israel Innovation Authority groundbreaking applied research consortia. Designed to position Israel at the forefront of global innovation, the Ben-Gurion University initiative focuses on soil and water purification.

Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, said: “These new flagship consortia are a powerful expression of Israel’s ability to transform academic research and scientific knowledge into real economic and industrial growth engines. They reflect the depth and maturity of Israeli innovation — from tackling environmental and climate challenges to developing diamond-based components that could revolutionize the semiconductor industry, to advanced sensing and testing technologies that place Israel at the heart of the next industrial revolution.

These consortia demonstrate how smart, focused, and long-term government investment can generate new knowledge, create technological advantages, and build infrastructures of excellence that will serve Israel’s economy for years to come. This is the unique combination of science, industry, and vision that sets Israel apart, turning it from a startup nation into a global deep-tech powerhouse. Our real challenge today is to continue creating innovation based on real value, on science, industry, and application, solutions that are embedded in the physical world, address global challenges, and shape the real economy. This marks the next stage in the evolution of Israeli high-tech: moving from speed to depth, from standalone products to infrastructures that shape the future.”

Green Soil – Biological Technologies for Soil and Groundwater Purification

The Green Soil flagship program brings together 10 companies and 16 leading academic research groups to develop advanced biological technologies for the purification of soil and groundwater contaminated by persistent pollutants, including PFAS, explosives, and fuels. The technologies being developed will enable in-situ and deep-soil contaminant degradation using tailored bacteria and biological agents, alongside innovative injection and monitoring methods. The solutions are expected to deliver an environmentally friendly, cost-effective approach for a market worth billions of Shekels in Israel and open new international opportunities for Israeli companies.

Ben-Gurion University researchers who will participate include Profs. Ariel Kushmaro, Zeev Ronen, Ofer Dahan and Hadar Ben-Yoav.