Israel’s Chief Scientist to visit Australia
Israel’s Chief Scientist Avi Hasson will visit Australia for a week of events and meetings designed to deepen and strengthen bilateral economic, technological and scientific ties.
Hasson will also be a keynote speaker at the First Israel-Australia Investment Summit 2015 (The Bridge).
Avi Hasson
“This visit is clearly a testament to the high regard Australia has for the Israeli innovation economy,” said Chief Scientist Hasson. “A number of Australian government and trade delegations have visited Israel in recent months, focusing on lessons from the ‘Startup Nation’ in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. They were also deeply interested in learning about our unique brand of public-private partnership and how it promotes our knowledge economy. This visit aims at strengthening an already robust relationship between our two countries.”
The week-long visit will begin Nov. 23rd. It is being hosted by the the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) with support from the Israel Trade Commission in Sydney.
Among the highlights of the Chief Scientist’s stay:
- Live video conference (“Tech Talk”) with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull along with the Hon. Christopher Pyne MP – Australian Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
- Keynote speech at the First Israel-Australia Investment Summit 2015 (The Bridge)
- Signing with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) of an MNC agreement – a framework which provides a supportive work environment for Israeli startups looking to collaborate with multinational companies.
- Re-launching of the VISTECH program (R&D Cooperation Program with the State of Victoria) – will be open to funding for joint R&D projects
- Meetings and roundtable discussions with a number of Australian officials who play an important role in shaping innovation and economic policy, including:
- Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Mike Baird
- Mr. Bill Ferris, Incoming Chair of Innovation Australia
- The Hon. Andrew Robb AO MP, Minister of Trade and Investment
- The Hon. Christopher Pyne MP, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
- Wyatt Roy MP, Assistant Minister for Innovation
- Innes Willox, Chief Executive, Australian Industry Group
- The Hon. Philip Dalidakis MP, Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade
The Israel-Australia Summit is the premier Israel-focused event that aims to bring together top entrepreneurs, innovators and investors from Israel, Australia and the region for an intense series of discussions, deal-making sessions and networking. Telstra, the major partner for this summit, will host the event in their brand new Customer Insight Centre in Sydney. The event will feature speakers from Israel, Australia and the region with a keynote address by Mr. Avi Hasson, Israel’s Chief Scientist. The Summit will focus on innovation and investment – building the relationships between startups, investors and major corporations to bring new ideas and disruptive technologies into fruition. Some of the topics that will be explored during the summit include: fintech and cyber-security, cloud infrastructure, e-health, agtech and food tech, analytics and customer behavior, new media, innovative ways to invest, IPO versus exits as well as Impact Investments.
The summit will also feature a start-up competition where 6 Israeli and 6 Australian disruptive start-ups will pitch to leading investors in a 2-minute elevator ride: a real “Elevator Pitch.” The pitch will be screened live and the audience will have the opportunity to vote for the best pitches. The winners will be announced at the closing event. The Israel Trade Commission is organizing this event in partnership with Telstra and with the support of Landmark Ventures out of New York, the organizers of the annual Israel Dealmakers Summit.
