The government’s decision to approve a five-year plan submitted by Tekma authorities aimed at “rebuilding and developing the Western Negev and significantly increasing population growth” was approved after several postponements and delays. It’s the right step in the right direction.
The plan allocates meaningful funding to key areas such as health, transport, welfare, employment and education.
However, budget alone is not enough to achieve this goal.
Realizing this vision requires a comprehensive approach to reinvigorating the Western Negev as a prosperous region.
Resident trust resilience after October 7th
Such a strategy would restore public confidence after the events of October 7 and attract young individuals and families eager to start families, raise children, and contribute to the growth of their communities. .
This vision must be based on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. It was the dream of the late Ofir Libstein, the mayor of Shaar Hanegev in the Gaza Strip, who envisioned the region as Israel’s “Silicon Valley.”
Ofir’s efforts, including the SouthUp incubator, have helped support more than 60 startups, raised more than $120 million in funding, and created more than 250 new jobs, including developers and engineers. Ta.
To realize this vision, several important conditions must be met. First, we understand that our funds not only provide a positive financial return, but are also a form of impact investment that furthers the Zionist goal of uplifting the Western Negev and restoring the region. We need to attract investors.
Beyond capital, the strategic value is the involvement of external investors in a startup, who can help promote the company, build connections, participate in decision-making, and provide valuable resources and experience essential to the startup’s success. It should be noted that. .
The second condition is investment in infrastructure that adds value for entrepreneurs, who prefer to operate around the Western Negev rather than in central Israel.
This ecosystem includes forces already operating in the Western Negev, including local authorities, academic institutions, accelerators, laboratories, available qualified personnel, and advanced public transportation that shortens the distance from central Israel. It must include strengthening the combination of Governments should support this by fostering cooperation and mutual responsibility between all stakeholders.
Israelis have witnessed the spirit and spirit of resilience of Western Negev residents during and after the October 7 massacre. This dedication, which began with pioneers in kibbutz (Kharzzim) and settlements near the Gaza border, continues to flourish today and is expanding into food tech, climate tech, health/life sciences tech, smart agriculture, and advanced generative AI. function.
Investment in higher education is crucial, and Sapir University near Sderot plays a key role. By supporting universities through grants and benefits for students, we can increase the number of people studying in our region with the hope that they will choose to stay in our region after graduation.
Connections between central and periphery Israel, an “emerging nation,” are essential to the success of transforming the Western Negev into a hub of technology and innovation.
The government welcomes initiatives emerging after October 7, such as the Illinois Place-led high-tech complex in Sderot, in collaboration with global technology giants such as Google, Nvidia, and Palo Alto, as well as large Israeli tech companies. , should be encouraged. companies.
Such a complex would expand the start-up nation beyond Herzliya-Pitua to Sderot-Rothschild, creating job opportunities and attracting high-quality talent to the Western Negev.
Founding Father David Ben-Gurion said this in 1955: “We cannot achieve national security and economic independence without solving the Negev. To do that, we need young people to harness innovation and the latest science.”
These words have more meaning today than ever before.
Gil Shwarsman is the CEO of SouthUp Incubator in Negev Gate.
Itai Horstock, who has extensive experience in Israeli venture capital, will lead the creation and management of a new investment fund operating within the incubator, investing in and supporting start-ups and other companies operating in the Western Negev. I am.
