BICOM

It was announced yesterday that the UK and Israeli governments have launched a joint bilateral fund to advance cooperative research into cyber defence.

The agreement was signed yesterday at the Cabinet Office and is worth a total of £1.2 million, which will be put towards enabling Israeli and British researchers to strengthen collaboration and conduct joint projects in cyber defence, an area in which both countries are considered to be world leaders. In January Israel’s government announced the establishment of a national cyber park in Beer Sheba, which will house a high school and research and development facility, while several significant international companies have agreed to locate there.

The Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Science, Technology and Space said that cyber defence “is one of the greatest challenges of our time. There is a national imperative to invest in this field and advance scientific research and knowledge.” Meanwhile, Dr Eviatar Matania, head of the Israeli National Cyber Bureau, commented during yesterday’s signing ceremony, “Britain is one of the most advanced countries in the world on cyber defence, and we place great importance on promoting and strengthening cooperation with our UK partners on all levels.”

Yesterday’s announcement is the latest example of widespread scientific cooperation between the UK and Israel. In March, during a visit to Israel, Prime Minister David Cameron announced a new £12.5 million joint research fund for dementia, a project which will see close collaboration between Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva and the National Health Service. Two months ago, Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts attended the second BIRAX Regenerative Medicine conference at the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa. BIRAX is an initiative of the British Embassy and British Council in Israel, in which both countries are investing £10 million into joint research during the next five years.

Meanwhile, it was also announced yesterday that a delegation of British life science industry executives will visit Israel next week to attend the annual Israel Innovation Conference, focusing on high-tech and biomed.