MIDC Announces New
Leadership
The MIDC has new leadership.
At the beginning of the fiscal year, Abba David
Poliakoff took over as chairman of the nonprofit
economic development organization. He is replacing
founding chairman Hanan “Bean” Sibel. Andy Meister
and Robert Rosenbaum became Vice Chairman and
Treasurer, respectively.
In
taking the volunteer position, Abba said, “Bean
Sibel built a respected and effective
organization. I’m proud to carry on the
responsibility of promoting trade and investment
between the dynamic technology driven economies of
Maryland and Israel and broaden the scope of our
support.”
Abba, chairman of the business
department for the law firm Gordon
Feinblatt Rothman Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC
, said his strategic vision for the
organization is to broaden its network throughout
the Maryland business community by opening the
MIDC to members. Members will work through
industry sector committees to bring Maryland and
Israeli companies together for trade and joint
ventures and to provide a knowledgeable and
receptive welcome to Israeli companies seeking to
establish in the US.
Andy Meister is a
technology and business development consultant
specializing in telecommunications and wireless
technology companies. He was a co-founder of
Aether Systems. Rob Rosenbaum is a principal with
Nobska
Ventures, an early stage investment company
that has both Maryland and Israeli companies in
its investment portfolio.
Other
new board members include:
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Beth
Perlman, Chief Information Officer,
Constellation
Energy. Beth is chairing the Technology
Committee.
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Robin
Hacke of
Portview
Communications, a venture company
specializing in telecommunications. Robin was in
the venture capital community in Israel for 17
years prior to moving to Maryland.
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Henry
Yaffe, Ph.D., CEO of
New
Ridge Technologies. Henry received his Ph.D.
in physics from the Weizmann Institute of
Science in Israel. Henry is chairing the
Professionals Serivces Committee.
MIDC Membership Drive
is Off to a Roaring Start Over
One
hundred thirty (130) people joined the MIDC within
the first month of the new membership drive with
representatives from across the state and in a
wide variety of industries including wireless
communications, biotechnology, medical device
distribution, homeland security, finance and
investment. Members will work in industry specific
committees to provide assistance to Israeli
companies in their area of expertise and to
attract them to Maryland. The industry groups are
Life Sciences, Technology and Professional
Services. For more information on MIDC membership
and committee participation, please click here, http://www.MarylandIsrael.org/pages/membership.php.
New Life Science
Committee Helps Israeli Company Secure
Contracts
The MIDC's new Life Science Committee
helped OHK Medical Devices of Israel secure new business throughout
the healthcare community in Baltimore. Dr. Gary
Applebaum, chairman of the committee, introduced
Omer Kabak, OHK's Director of Business
Development, to physicians and hospital
administrators to present S-MART™, an FDA
approved blood flow management solution for
emergency medical response and surgical
procedures. The S-MART product accomplishes three
important tasks with one simple, donut-shaped
device, obviating the need for the longer and
more expensive process currently used. The S-MART
creates a sterile field while removing blood from
an extremity and occluding the blood flow
which allows doctors a blood-free and sterile area
in which to conduct an operation. The S-MART
was demonstrated at several hospitals
including Sinal, Union Memorial and the
University of Maryland Medical Center.
The inventor of S-MART is Prof. Noam
Gavriely of Haifa who participated in the MIDC's
first MarketReach America program in 2003 for
another medical device company he started called
ETView . The
ETView product is a device to ease the
intubation process for patients with airway
blockages and concerns. As a result of
participating in MarketReach America, ETView
management altered its strategic plan, obtained
FDA approval in record time and entered the
market.
University of Maryland
Biotech Institute (UMBI) Goes to Israel En
Masse
Led
by UMBI President Dr. Jennie Hunter-Cevera and
Director of the Center of Marine Biotechnology
(COMB) Dr. Yonatan Zohar, 25 UMBI scientists
traveled to Eilat, Israel in March for the
International Marine Biotechnology Association
(IMBA) Annual Conference. President Hunter-Cevera
chaired both the conference and the association
this year. Over 300 marine biotech scientists from
around the globe participated in the conference to
discuss the latest scientific research in marine,
environmental, aquaculture and policy issues
facing the world's oceans and seas. For more
information on the conference, see http://imbc2007.ocean.org.il/.
After
the IMBA conference, the COMB scientists and their
Israeli partners held a daylong review of the
joint research projects conducted in the framework
of the Maryland/Israel Marine Biotechnology
Research Partnership. This 6 year, $1.5 million
program was established in 2003 with
the assistance of the Maryland/Israel
Development Center. Teams of scientists from both
communities are investigating the pharmaceutical
potential of marine organisms, marine
environmental biotechnology and improved
aquaculture techniques, among other subjects. For
more information on the partnership, see http://www.umbi.umd.edu/nande/news/Israel%20-%20Marine%20Biotech%20Fund.pdf.
MIDC to Host
Springboard Delegation of Israeli Women
Entrepreneurs
The
MIDC will host the Springboard delegation of
Israeli women entrepreneurs on April 18, 2007 for
coaching on U.S. market entry. Springboard
Enterprises is a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit
organization that promotes women's
entrepreneurship. Springboard held a business plan
competition in Israel over the winter and will
bring the winners to Washington, D.C. for an
invesment conference on April 19th. The MIDC and
its Virginia counterpart, the Virginia Israel
Advisory Board, are both hosting the delegation
for functions in their communities that week. The
participating companies are:
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For
more information on Springboard and to register
for the April 19th conference, see http://www.springboardenterprises.org/.
2006: A Record Year
for Israeli Foreign Investment
Foreign investment in Israel reached a
record high of $24.7 billion in 2006, 240% more
than in 2005, the Central Bureau of Statistics
reported. Overseas investment by Israelis also
reached an all-time high in 2006 of $28.6 billion,
120% more than in 2005.
In
other Israeli economic news for 2006, exports rose
7.5% to $39.4 billion. High-tech exports, which
make up 48.2% of all Israeli exports, rose over
20%. Manufacturing exports also saw an increase of
15%. Pharmaceutical and chemical sales rose 12.6%
in 2006 to $17.4 billion, “the best year in a
decade,” announced the Manufacturers Association.
For more information in Israel’s economy, see http://www.investinisrael.gov.il/.
Strong
Year for Israeli High Tech Company
Fundraising
In 2006, 402 Israeli high-tech
companies raised $1.62 billion from local and
foreign venture investors, 21% above the $1.34
billion raised in 2005 and 11% above 2004 levels,
reported the Israel Venture Center.
Volume
5.1
