Israel Launches National Biotech Innovation Center to Commercialize Research
Israel has launched the Israel National Biotech Innovation Center (INBI), a new non-profit organization aimed at bridging the gap between academic biomedical research and commercial application. The center was established with the participation of 15 leading Israeli universities, medical centers, and health maintenance organizations.
INBI's primary goal is to transform promising academic discoveries into viable commercial projects, startups, and new drug candidates. Its founding members include major institutions such as the Technion, Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar-Ilan University, University of Haifa, Ben-Gurion University, and the Weizmann Institute, along with health providers Clalit, Maccabi, Sheba Medical Center, Ichilov, Rambam, Hadassah, Shaare Zedek, and Beilinson Hospital.
The center plans to raise $500 million from philanthropic organizations both in Israel and abroad. This funding will support a ten-year program designed to select approximately ten promising preclinical projects annually. These selected projects will receive assistance to navigate the complex journey from university laboratories to company formation and drug development.
Samuel Moed, formerly of Bristol Myers Squibb, has been appointed Chairman of INBI. Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag, who previously led the Israeli biotech company Compugen for 15 years, will serve as CEO of INBI Core, a subsidiary.
INBI's creators highlighted that while Israel possesses a strong life sciences academic foundation, many innovative developments fail to reach the market due to insufficient funding, infrastructure, and commercialization expertise. The new center aims to consolidate these resources and boost the number of Israeli biotech companies capable of advancing research to clinical stages.
