Israeli Government Invests NIS 44 Million to Establish Data Repositories for AI Research and Development

The Israel Innovation Authority, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Industry via the Growth Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Tkuma Administration, published a new call for proposals offering grants totaling up to NIS 44 million for the development, and opening, of high-quality data repositories that will provide access for use by researchers, tech companies, and industrial entities operating in Israel.
This initiative is part of the second phase of the National Artificial Intelligence Program and represents a major milestone in Israel’s efforts to position itself as a global leader in AI. The investment derives from the understanding that accessible, qualitative, sorted, and up-to-date high-quality data is a critical infrastructure for advancing innovative development, training advanced algorithms, predicting industrial processes, accelerating scientific R&D, and even advancing solutions for challenges in climate, medicine, and security.

One of the main areas of the initiative is agritech, with data repositories concentrating on soil data, climate, crop types, pests, cultivation protocols, agricultural technologies, and marketing and distribution information. Special emphasis will be placed on real-time agricultural data collection in the context of global climate change and global warming. This data, previously scattered across various entities and not readily accessible for research, will now be made available to significantly boost data-driven technological development in agriculture.

Oren Lavi, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security: “Tomorrow’s agriculture depends on Smart Agricultural Intelligence and quality data. For the first time in Israel, we are building a Data-Nation – a national agricultural data infrastructure, an integrated system of soil, satellite, sensor, and supply chain data. This will enable the development of AI-based technologies for threat prediction, productivity improvement, and climate resilience, ensuring smart, stable, and leading agriculture in a changing world.”

Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority: “Data is the raw material for training AI models that create groundbreaking solutions in food, transportation, health, defence, and industry. This call for proposals is meant to transform Israel’s data repositories from closed resources into open engines of innovation. Broad access to high-quality data will lead to faster developments and strengthen Israel’s position as a global AI powerhouse.”

Moti Gamliel, Director General of the Ministry of Economy and Industry: “As part of our ongoing work to strengthen Israel’s economic growth engines, we understand that data is the new oil. To help Israeli companies develop breakthrough products and compete globally in the AI era, we must provide them with quality data infrastructure. This joint effort with other government bodies will accelerate the development of this critical infrastructure.”

Aviad Friedman, Head of the Tkuma Administration: “The Tkuma Administration was established to rebuild the communities surrounding Gaza after the events of October 7. Recovery must include not just rebuilding homes and infrastructure, but also future proofing these communities through jobs, innovation, and opportunity. This data infrastructure investment will allow peripheral towns and companies to join Israel’s tech growth wave and will transform the region from a site of trauma to a hub of excellence and innovation.”

The goal of this call for proposals is to create a national data infrastructure in various fields, serving as a platform for insights, AI model training, and the development of new products, services, and technologies. Eligible databases may include both existing public/private sector datasets and new data collected proactively.

This initiative is an opportunity to transform raw knowledge into analyzed, organized, secure, and accessible datasets. The partnership among these government entities reflects a strategic understanding: in the AI age, data is a vital resource for breakthrough R&D.

Six national growth engines will benefit from this data infrastructure, with an emphasis on repositories and datasets not yet available in Israel’s ecosystem:
●    Life Sciences and Health – medical, genomic, or clinical data enabling drug development, medical devices, diagnostic technologies, and AI tools adapted to healthcare systems.
●    Advanced Manufacturing – data from advanced industries, production lines, supply chains, sensing systems, and automation, including semiconductors and ICT.
●    DeserTech and Climate – climate data repositories, renewable energy data, water monitoring, weather forecasting, environmental sensing, and climate-related applications.
●    Agritech – sensor-based agricultural data, satellite tracking, GIS systems, aquaculture, packaging houses, and food supply chains.
●    FoodTech – research repositories and technologies in innovative food, including alternative proteins, meat substitutes, new production processes, and nutritional tracking.
●    Defense and High-Tech – data relevant to cybersecurity, defense and dual-use technologies, the space industry, defense AI, blockchain, fintech, smart mobility, and software.

The program was formulated through close cooperation between four key government entities, recognizing the scale and collaborative advantage of data repositories. The goal is to support the growth of new entrepreneurs, young researchers, and early-stage companies.