ROBOTICS

South Korea is also interested in the Israeli robotics industry. The local government has invested about $100M a year since the early 2000s, and is a major destination for export and cooperation. This year the Korea-Israel Foundation, together with

the Israel Innovation Authority, initiated the “Lighthouse” program to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of autonomous robotics.

Japan, the country where robotics is the most developed, operates and invests in Israel; the Japanese company Yaskawa Electric, ranked second in the world in
the installation of industrial robots, has a subsidiary in Israel. In 2015 it launched a technology center that develops robotics and drive control, and established a fund of tens of millions of dollars for investment in Israeli startup companies in the field.

The greatest demand for industrial robots is currently in the Chinese market. The field of robotics and automation is a top priority in China’s current five-year plan, and the country is pinning its hopes on a reduction in the labor force costs that have become more expensive in recent years. China chose to invest in Israel in order to achieve these goals.

The Israel Defense Forces and Ministry of Defense work closely and continuously to design and manufacture robots for the defense market. In the defense industry, activity in robotics mainly revolves around UAVs and robots for the collection of intelligence.

The most prominent research departments in the field include the Technion’s Department of Robotics and the Interdisciplinary Program for Autonomous Systems; the Robotics Laboratory at the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University; the Paul Ivanier Center for Robotics at Ben Gurion University and University of Ariel’s department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics and its Robotics Center.

The Israel Robotics Association (IROB), aims to serve the entire field of robotics in Israel, the industry and academia, by promoting research and robotics education as well as the use of robotics in a variety of applications.

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Space promotes a program for the establishment of practical research institutes, the first of which will focus on robotics. The National Council for Research and Development also supports the establishment of practical research institutes, and has proposed the establishment of a robotics institute as a technological innovation center, and an administration that will promote and coordinate activities between the relevant government ministries.

The Israeli Government also supports the development of the field of robotics in Israel, mainly
by encouraging youth to engage in the field. The Ministry of Education invests tens of millions of Shekels in encouraging robotics competitions between schools and thousands of youth participate annually in competitions in the field.