Bar-Ilan University and Sheba Medical Center have launched a $120 million joint research institute to advance biotechnology and medical innovation.
Located in Sheba’s Health Tech Valley in Ramat Gan (Israel), the facility will bring together academia, healthcare, and industry to accelerate the path from research to clinical application.
The institute will focus on areas including cancer research, 3D printing of organs and tissues, artificial intelligence (AI) driven medical data analysis, robotics, and genetic engineering. Additional projects will explore computational biology, microbiome research, and sensor technologies, with the aim of developing more personalized treatments and diagnostic tools.
According to the organizers, the initiative builds on years of collaboration between Bar-Ilan and Sheba that has already produced startups and new therapies. The model is designed to shorten the timeline from scientific discovery to patient care, drawing inspiration from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“The collaboration reflects the growing role of biotechnology as a driver of healthcare and economic development,” said Prof. Arie Zaban, President of Bar-Ilan University. Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center, added that Health Tech Valley aims to create an ecosystem that supports both medical progress and industry growth.
The institute will be managed by a joint steering committee and housed within Health Tech Valley, a new innovation campus supported by Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings. The site, located next to Sheba Medical Center and near Bar-Ilan University, is intended to serve as a hub for research organizations, startups, and international partners.
Sheba Medical Center has invested in advancing cancer research. Recently, the institute partnered with Imagene AI to accelerate precision oncology through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and real-world clinical data.
