The center, adjacent to the Sderot train station, is planned to include a technology incubator.
An innovation center will be built next to the railway station in Sderot in southern Israel. Construction of the first part of the center will begin soon – four years after the foundation stone was laid. The cost, estimated at about NIS 30 million, will be covered by a donation from the Jewish National Fund in Australia, the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael organization, and a budget from the Tecoma administration, which is responsible for rehabilitating the Gaza border area.
The first building will be 3,000 square metres over two floors and is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in May 2026. It will initially house a technology incubator for start-ups in defence, high-tech and the environment. The centre, which will have direct access to Sapir College, will consist of three buildings with a total area of 10,000 square metres.
The innovation center is part of a broader plan by the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council to develop the area, especially after the events of October 7. “Building the innovation center is an important step toward rehabilitating the area,” said Acting Council Chairman Yossi Keren. “It will be a significant economic and social lever, and will provide new opportunities for employment and technology for the residents of the area.”
This article was published in Globes, Israeli Business News – en.globes.co.il – on August 1, 2024.
© Copyright Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2024.
Impression of the Innovation Center in Sderot: Strassburger Ben-Naim Architects