The INOVC+ Consortium, of which RAIZ is a part, carried out a mission to the Israeli Innovation Ecosystem.

The trip, promoted by the INOVC+ Project, with the aim of learning about best practices in the Israeli innovation ecosystem, took place from March 13 to 16.THESOURCEThe team was represented by General Director Carlos Pascoal Neto and Science and Technology Manager Sara Monteiro. On March 13th, the trip to Israel began with a meeting with Ran Natazon, Head of Innovation and Country Brand at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the INOVC+ Consortium learned about the national innovation ecosystem. This was followed by a reception at the EIT Hub Israel, aimed at further exploring Israel's connection to European competitive funding programs. A presentation of the Consortium was given to the Portuguese Embassy in Israel by Dr. Joana Araújo, Deputy Minister, culminating in a visit to Tau Ventures, a venture capital firm at a university in Israel. The second day of the mission included a visit to Reichman University - International School in Tel Aviv, where they were received by the Director of Adelson - School of Entrepreneurship. During the afternoon, it was possible to visit the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, a leading institution in Israel, culminating in a meeting at the Carmel-Haifa University Economic Corporation Ltd., the Technology Transfer Office of the University of Haifa. On March 15th, the Consortium visited the National Institute of Biotechnology in Negev at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. This was followed by a visit to Yazamut 360, the Entrepreneurship Center of Ben-Gurion University, where it was possible to learn about innovative programs and approaches in the field of entrepreneurship. In the afternoon, they met in Jerusalem with Dr. Amnon Dekel from ASPER - HUJI Innovate, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The last day of the Mission included a meeting with Ishai Shamir from Argentum Consultants, a consulting firm specializing in European projects, and a team reflection meeting on the mission to the Israeli innovation ecosystem. Henrique Cymerman was the last guest, presenting the delegation with a session on the historical and economic context of Israel, as well as his interpretation of the innovation ecosystem. The Mission to the Israeli Innovation Ecosystem is one of the actions ofINOVC+ Program: Smart Innovation Ecosystem of the Central Region, co-financed by CENTRO 2020, through the European Regional Development Fund.