Kristen Victor, founder of Sustainability Matters and Susan Lapidus, Director of the UCSD School of Rady, U.S.- Israel Center successfully organized a water innovation conference held in San Diego between local officials and Israeli representatives, in which participants discussed the possibility of cooperation in the field of water technology innovation.

The conference was attended by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Prof. Robert Sullivan, dean of the UC San Diego Rady School of Management.  Both Faulconer and Sullivan sought to learn directly about Israel’s experience in overcoming the challenges of drought.

San Diego, which is located in southern California and is home to 1.3 million people, has been suffering from an ongoing drought for the last decade, leading to serious problems in a resilient water supply.  The acute drought has led Californian officials to place an increased focus on trying to solve San Diego’s water problems.

A number of representatives from Israeli companies working in the California region were invited to the conference, including Mark Lambert, CEO of IDE Americas which recently established a seawater desalination facility in the area, and Dr. Maya Shimshoni of the BIRD Foundation for binational research between the US and Israel.

Zohar Yinon, CEO of the Gihon Company, presented participants at the conference with the structural changes and reforms in the Israeli water system that he was a part of, and also gave a survey of the work being pursued in implementing new water technology in California.

Integrating a knowledge center and incubation of innovation with long-term economic success in Israel, Southern California and beyond, Israel and San Diego have much to learn and share with each other and worldwide. 

Sustainability Matters works to inspire humanity and empower the transcendence of place, for global prosperity.  Working with clients; global businesses and communities, Sustainability Matters guides and influences authentic visions and dreams, resilient planning and strategies, creating a better world,  together.

The U.S-Israel Center (USIC) on Innovation and Economic Sustainability engages business, civic and academic communities in global innovation and business development, continually broadening understanding of the forces that shape innovation economies. USIC aims to generate new businesses, launch entrepreneurial relationships, connect Israeli and American professionals and apply academic rigor to solve the toughest corporate and societal problems

Kristen Victor was appointed to a nine person delegation to represent California in a plan to facilitate collaborations between Israeli and Californian entrepreneurs and researchers through the California innovation hub network – a network consisting of self-funded, collaborative, regional innovation clusters, uniting government, universities, foundation, national labs and the private sector.  Kristen’s firm Sustainability Matters led a USIC Water Conference at UCSD Rady School in collaboration with City of San Diego, UCSD and Israel water experts. 

California and Israel Sign Pact to Strengthen Economic, Research Ties

MOUNTAIN VIEW- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today signed a broad agreement to develop joint projects and conduct mutually beneficial research in California and Israel.

“Through this agreement, California and Israel will build on their respective strengths in research and technology to confront critical problems we both face, such as water scarcity, cybersecurity and climate change,” said Governor Brown.

The agreement will boost economic, cultural and academic cooperation between California and Israel, with an emphasis on water conservation, alternative energy, cybersecurity, health and biotechnology, education and agricultural technology.

The agreement will also enable Israeli companies to access California’s Innovation Hubs (iHUB), an innovation network that includes 16 clusters of research parks, technology incubators, universities and federal laboratories, together with economic development organizations, business groups and venture capital funds.

THEREFORE, IT IS DECLARED AS FOLLOWS:

The Participants hereby sign this Memorandum of Understanding for the purposes of establishing a formal relationship between them to foster economic cooperation and economic development, facilitate joint industrial research and development, and enhance business relationships and educational opportunities to foster job creation and incubate global solutions from joint California-Israel innovation initiatives.

To achieve these aims:

1. The Participants intend to seek to convene bilateral, interagency and inter-ministerial working groups with international expertise to coordinate initiatives.
2. The Participants plan to facilitate collaborations between Israeli and Californian entrepreneurs and researchers through (though not exclusively limited to) the California innovation hub (iHub) network – a network consisting of self-funded, collaborative regional innovation clusters, uniting government, universities, foundations, national labs and the private sector.
3. The Participants intend to support and encourage their people and competent authorities to further develop interpersonal contacts and exchanges, and to promote mutual cooperation, understanding, and friendship by encouraging ad hoc task forces, trade delegations, and professional exchanges between Israel and California in key sectors including, but not limited to