Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) inaugurated its innovation center in the heart of the startup ecosystem of Israel, in collaboration with the international Starburst Accelerator, which specializes in aerospace. The center is aimed towards promoting the implementation of IAI's strategy, which focuses on business performance, growth, and profitability. IAI's Innovation Center will act as an accelerator, speeding up the development of advanced technologies-based ventures. It will employ open innovation methodologies to encourage technological diversity and in-house entrepreneurship alongside collaboration with potential partners. During its first year, the center will focus on pre-seed accelerated development programs and cooperation with startups and large enterprises.

Scheduled to start operations in January 2020, the Innovation Center will offer several developing cycles during 2020. Before opening the Center, IAI has invited its employees to submit innovative, creative, breakthrough, advanced technology-based proposals for accelerated development of advanced pre-seed endeavors. Out of dozens of submitted proposals, six were selected for the first cycle to attend the accelerator. The first teams chosen for the Program will focus on developing AI-based solutions for aerospace, radar, robotics and autonomy technologies with the aid of Starburst network and mentoring by experts from IAI.

Nimrod Sheffer, IAI's CEO & President, said, "The opening of the Innovation Center is another step in our strategy to encourage individual and business excellence that results in entrepreneurship. Since its foundation, IAI has been the growth bed of breakthrough developments such as the "Arrow" anti-ballistic missile, UAV systems, the Beresheet lunar lander, intelligence, radar, and cyber systems, and more. These developments testify for the boldness, creativity, and unconventional thinking of our employees for decades. Every year, IAI invests hundreds of millions of shekels in in-house R&D geared towards elite technology and engineering creativity."

Amira Sharon, Ph.D., IAI's Corporate CTO - Executive VP of Strategy and R&D, said, "Accelerated development of advanced technologies in fast-pacing age is critical for maintaining technological international business competitiveness. The Innovation Center adds to a range of existing and new processes undertaken by IAI to promote innovation-driven culture among our thousands of engineers and developers. With the Innovation Center, we are preparing the soil for germinating the next big thing that would disrupt the current aerospace technological solutions and provide IAI with advanced building blocks for its technological and business resilience and strength."

Starburst CEO Francois Chopard, said," Starburst is honored to contribute to the success of IAI's international innovation center. In a country called 'the startup nation', it makes perfect sense to promote internal entrepreneurship and leverage it to find the next aerospace and defense disruption. Starburst will provide its international network to make this IAI initiative a success".