ISRAEL, August 2nd, 2017 – Today marked a revolutionary milestone for China and Israel, when both countries agreed to establish the first of its kind “China-Israel Innovation Center” (CIIC). The signing ceremony took place in Herzlyia, Israel’s home to multinational high-tech companies, R&D centers and start-up accelerators. The ceremony was hosted by Compass Ventures, a leading investment group which specializes in sourcing and developing technology projects worldwide, and whose strategic vision is to bridge between Israeli innovation and the Chinese market. On this occasion, Compass Ventures hosted a special delegation representing Zhogguancun, “China’s Silicon Valley” and the country’s top technology hub located in the core area of Beijing’s Haidian District.
The China-Israel Innovation Center, the first of its kind in Beijing, will build an ecosystem platform between the two countries, while investing, supporting and promoting innovation-driven projects on both sides. The Center which is planned to open in Zhongguancun by the end of 2017, will aim to guide the exchange of technology and innovation between China and Israel, while attracting new talents and seeding a culture of global innovation. The Center is planned to host a range of China’s breakthrough technology and innovation companies, including an area to learn, interact and exchange with a range of Israeli companies represented by the Compass Ventures Group. The Compass Israeli-led portfolio is planned to cover a range of sectors from: IOT, Smart & Safe City, Public Security, Water, Environment, Agriculture, Biotech, Automotive, and Robotics allowing founders, investors, scientists and trade professionals to get involved and collaborate together.
Zhongguancun is situated in Beijing’s Haidian District, an area well-known for attracting China’s young and tech-savvy entrepreneurs. This is where China’s biggest internet players such as Baidu, Tencent, JD, and Lenovo are located, and where multinational companies like Google, Microsoft and IBM have set-up their national R&D centers. The area is also unique given its large landscape of prestigious universities and research facilities all located in the area such as: Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the China Academy of Science. This is how in the last three decades, Zhongguancun has received its “China’s Silicon Valley” title, hosting today thousands of entities, start-ups, incubators, office buildings, universities, research centers and electronics malls.
The CIIC agreement was signed in Israel by Mr. Du Peng, the General Manager of the Zhongguancun (ZGC) Operation company, and by Mr. Moshe Kamar, the CEO of Compass Ventures Group. The signature was witnessed by Mr. Sha Haijiang, the Secretary of the Haidan District and Dr. Ronen Dagon, the Chairman of Compass Ventures Group.
The ceremony was led by Mr. Moshe Kamar, the CEO of Compass Ventures Group and took place at the IDC, The Interdisciplinary Center, Israel’s leading business and innovation research institutes located in Herzliya.
Dr. Ronen Dagon, Chairman of Compass Ventures gave a speech on Compass Ventures long-term relations with both countries “Compass Ventures has recognized long-ago the market potential and resources China has to offer. We have been collaborating closely with the Chinese government and the Haidan district, and today our mutual hard work and efforts have brought something new to the world. Covering a range of sectors in the Israeli market, Compass understands the potential of this marriage, and we have many unique Israeli technologies which we believe can fit the Chinese market and help change the life standard of many people and companies around the world. We are very happy to host today our friends from the Haidan District and the Zhongguancun area.”
Mr. Sha, the Secretary of Haidian District gave a speech about the importance of this collaboration, and reinforced its strategic significance given China’s “One Belt and One Road” economic policy to leverage the country’s potential, resources and opportunities by extending its trade collaborations with leading international markets. Mr. Sha added: “Since 1988, the District of Haidian has been offering an encouraging environment for innovation and entrepreneurship while embracing many transformative policies regarding scientific innovation. Our District hosts over 14 incubators for national high-tech enterprises, 19 academic science and technology parks, and over 240 Internet financial institutions. In addition, we are proud to be home of the of Zhongguancun zone, which in itself is the cradle to 12,000 high-tech enterprises. Israel is recognized worldwide for its scientific and technological innovations, today we are reinforcing the foundation of our two countries in the hopes of continuing to bring life-changing innovations to the world.”
Mr. Du then gave an overview presentation of Zhongguancun and introduced the plans for the new Innovation Center. Mr. Du highlighted that last year alone, Zhongguancun produced over 13,000 new startups, and the area’s total revenue surpassed $560 billion dollars. He then added:
“We see the China-Israel Center as a unique opportunity to promote innovation outside of China’s borders, allowing us to learn and collaborate with our long-time partner, Israel, which is known globally as the Start-up Nation.” He added: “Ultimately our goal is to optimize China’s technology and innovation knowledge and resources, becoming a first-class innovation country by 2030. We believe Israel is a formidable partner that can help us get there, that is why we are truly honored to be here today, in Israel, to sign on this agreement and start this mutual innovation journey together”.
The following executives also attended the signing ceremony: Mr. Wu Baohua, Vice Director of the ZGC Science Park, Ms. Wang Xiao, ZGC’s Director of International Cooperation, Ms. Wang Caixia, General Director of Haidian Audit Bureau, and Mr. Sun Xiaoyong, Director of Haidian Yangfang Street Office.
About Compass Ventures Group (Compass VGG)
Compass Ventures Group is a leading holding group specializing in new innovative technologies, investing and managing leading technology projects around the globe. Compass was founded by former senior World Bank and world-class executives, each bringing unique global exposure and expertise with extensive business experience and know-how which form the key pillars of Compass’ vision and success. The global Compass network is strategically spread-out across leading and target markets, differentiating Compass by its multinational reach and ease of building ties in any market. With a large-scale portfolio of business contacts, experts, and key market leaders, Compass is a leading innovation expert across a wide range of sectors: environmental protection, water, green technology, security, automotive, medical, security, smart city, safe city and additional high-tech fields.