The Israel Robotics Association (IROB), representing the Israeli robotics community, and RoboValley announce a long term collaboration focussing on joint research, education and tech transfer. Arie van den Ende (RoboValley) and Zvi Shiller, chairman of the Israeli Robotics Association, signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Netherlands Embassy in Tel Aviv last week.

The signing of the letter of intent represents the success of the first Dutch robotics trade mission, which took place last week (www.gamechanginginrobotics.nl). A delegation of businesses, academics and entrepreneurs visited Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Technion and they were present at the International Digital Life Design Innovation Festival in Tel Aviv with the ‘Holland Robotics Pavilion’. The trade mission was organised by the Dutch embassy in Israel and RoboValley in close collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.

Arie van den Ende, the delegation leader, is convinced that both countries will profit from this cooperation. “In particular, the Dutch can learn from the Israeli start-up culture, which is an example for the rest of the world.” Van den Ende is enthusiastic about the Israeli researchers as well. “We will connect the Israeli researchers with the 400 robotics scientists in the Netherlands and analyse on which fields they can collaborate.”

Zvi Shiller is ‘very impressed’ with the quality of Dutch robotics research and the commitment of the Dutch robotics delegation to promote itself at home and abroad. “This energy resonates with the innovative entrepreneurial spirit that is typical of the Israeli robotics sector. It is remarkable that two small countries are driving the forefront of the modern technological revolution”, states Shiller. He expects that the trade mission will lead to all kinds of collaborations. “I look forward to see its implementation and actually doing things together.”

Read the full press release here, both in English and in Dutch.