Minister of the Economy Aryeh Deri announced during a conference of small and medium-size factories that he approved a reform in the structure of the Office of the Chief Scientist and will work to promote it. The plan is intended to be included in the Arrangements Bill, which is part of the upcoming annual state budget.

“Facilitating the operation and management of the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy, including its support of various sectors in Israeli industry, is essential to maintaining Israel’s technological edge in the world while significantly contributing to the economy, to breaking into new markets, to developing traditional industries and to simplifying work processes and strengthening Israel’s image as a significant leader in innovation,” said Deri.

The National Authority for Technology and Innovation (NATI) will operate as the executive arm of the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Economy. The proposal was discussed in the past and passed all stages of approval. It was intended to be implemented as part of the Arrangements Bill.

The authority will have professional capabilities and maximum flexibility to allow it to take initiative and procure the means to help efficiently promote technological innovation in industry at a pace that befits the market. The additional goals of the authority are encouraging growth, increasing productivity and promoting technological innovation in various fields of industry in Israel.

The establishment of the National Authority for Technology and Innovation (NATI) was conceived following thorough groundwork on the part of the staffs of the ministries of Economy, Finance and Justice. Proper application of various means of support in the industry should increase growth, create more jobs in knowledge and innovation-based industries, increase productivity in traditional branches and more. Establishing the authority will reinforce the government’s long-term goals for the hi-tech industry, namely, maintaining and even increasing Israel’s global leadership in the face of growing competition while at the same time connecting wider parts of the economy to this engine of growth.

The government’s innovation policy aims at achieving broad national goals in the coming decade, including: encouraging growth of industrial companies, injecting technological innovation into traditional fields which are not traditionally R&D dependent, strengthening research infrastructure as well as capital and labor, harnessing innovation for the improvement of the public sector and increasing the participation of sectors currently underrepresented in the hi-tech work force.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)