Background of the scientific cooperation Bavaria-Israel
Bavaria and Israel have enjoyed close relations on many levels for several years now. In 2009, the Free State opened its first contact office in Tel Aviv, and in 2017 the "Office of the Free State of Bavaria for Business, Science, Technology, Education and Youth Exchange in Israel" was founded. Since 2011, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has maintained a Consulate General in Munich, which is responsible for Bavaria as well as the entire southern German region.
In addition to economic and cultural ties, cooperation in the field of research and innovation in particular represents a central component of bilateral relations. With a mandate to further intensify cooperation between Bavarian and Israeli universities and research institutions, the Scientific Coordination Office (WKS) Bavaria-Israel finally began its work within the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) in spring 2018.
The central tasks of the WKS Bavaria-Israel include:
- Information service
- Networking activities: Workshops and delegation trips
- Application support: advice on suitable funding instruments for bilateral and international projects and support in the application process
- Mobility program: Mobility assistance and scholarship program
The Scientific Coordination Office Bavaria-Israel cooperates with and advises on bilateral funding programs for German-Israeli cooperation projects (e.g. DFG Middle East Cooperation, German-Israeli Project Cooperation (DIP), interministerial calls for proposals, etc.) as well as on international programs in which both German and Israeli institutions are eligible to participate (EU Horizon Europe program, PRIMA, ErasmusPlus, etc.).
Thematically, the Scientific Coordination Office Bavaria-Israel covers all research areas that are beneficial to the scientific relations between Bavarian and Israeli actors and further intensify this cooperation.
In recent years, the WKS Bavaria-Israel has steadily expanded and developed its network:
In cooperation with the Bavarian office in Tel Aviv and the Israel-Europe R&D Directorate (ISERD) of the Israel Innovation Authority, WKS Bayern-Israel initiated the first Bavarian-Israeli Think Tank in October 2018 as a joint symposium on digitization issues in the fields of agriculture, life sciences and industrialization. This workshop format has since been institutionalized and has developed into a permanent cooperation platform for Bavarian and Israeli scientists and other research-driving actors, giving them the opportunity to connect on a wide variety of topics and develop joint project ideas (e.g., health, renewable energies, climate change and cities, etc.).
During a delegation trip of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Art and 19 university representatives from all over Bavaria, the Bavarian Research Alliance and the Israel Innovation Authority signed a partnership agreement in 2019 to further intensify their cooperation.
Since 2022, the Scientific Coordination Office Bavaria-Israel is part of the Advisory Board of the "Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Sensors and Applied Systems" (FIPSENS@TAU) at Tel Aviv University.
Today, the Scientific Coordination Office Bavaria-Israel acts as a contact point for Bavarian and Israeli scientists and companies looking for information on current calls for proposals and developments, as well as networking and cooperation opportunities for closer collaboration with Israeli, or Bavarian partners.
