A Leap Forward for Israeli Biotech

Bar-Ilan University and Sheba Medical Center are joining forces to establish a cutting-edge biomedical research institute in Israel’s emerging Health Tech Valley in Ramat Gan. With a combined investment of NIS 400 million, the institute will house 20 advanced laboratories dedicated to breakthrough research in cancer, 3D organ printing, artificial intelligence for medical data analysis, medical robotics, and genetic engineering.

Transforming Research into Real-World Impact

The goal is clear: bridge the gap between scientific discovery and clinical application: turning lab results into life-saving therapies, diagnostic tools, and medical technologies in just a few years rather than decades.

“If research stays in the lab, it remains theoretical,” says Prof. Cyrille Cohen, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University and head of the Immunotherapy Lab. “This institute creates the platform to translate science into real-world healing.”

National Vision, Global Standards

The institute will operate under a joint steering committee and adopt a working model inspired by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. This ecosystem approach—bringing together researchers, clinicians, startups, and industry—has proven globally to accelerate the path from discovery to treatment.

“The initiative reflects our national responsibility to strengthen Israeli biotech and medical innovation,” said Prof. Arie Zaban, President of Bar-Ilan University, who led the agreement together with Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba. “Our collaboration with Sheba will dramatically speed up the transition from lab discovery to clinical application.”

Prof. Kreiss added: “We’re turning the vision of a health system as a national growth engine into reality—with Bar-Ilan as a key partner in our biotech valley.”

Strategic Location, Shared Leadership

The institute will be built in Health Tech Valley, a new hub for health, technology, and innovation in Ramat Gan—adjacent to Sheba Medical Center and just 949 meters from Bar-Ilan University. It will serve as a national growth engine for the life sciences sector and will be developed in collaboration with Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings.

Tal Hauptman, Head of Real Estate at Migdal, emphasized: “This is a strategic project that will attract global and Israeli research institutions, positioning Israel as a global leader in biomedical innovation.”

A Model for the Future of Medicine

The new institute will focus on frontier technologies, including:

• Cancer research and advanced medical devices

• 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs

• AI and computational biology

• Sensor technologies and personalized medicine

• Medical robotics and genetic engineering

Dr. Dror Harats, Head of Research at Sheba Medical Center, explained: “As medicine becomes more interdisciplinary, success comes from collaboration—academia, hospitals, pharma, and tech working in clusters. That’s what we’re building here.”

Excellence in Science and Clinical Practice

The collaboration between Bar-Ilan and Sheba builds on years of joint projects that have already led to life-saving startups and treatments. Now, the two institutions are extending the invitation further.

Zohar Yinon, CEO and Senior Vice President of Bar-Ilan, added: “This is a strategic move that will place Israel at the forefront of global biomedical science. We’re combining scientific knowledge, clinical expertise, and industrial partnerships to build an international center of excellence.”

Prof. Harats concluded: “After two difficult years for Israel’s research community, this institute is a powerful investment in our future. We’re showing the world that Israeli excellence in science and medicine continues—despite any challenge.”

An Open Call for Collaboration

Bar-Ilan University and Sheba Medical Center invite academic institutions, investors, startups, and medical professionals in Israel and abroad to join this national endeavor. Together, we will redefine the future of medicine.