What is the Alternative Energy Strategic Initiative?
The Alternative Energy Initiative is the central fundraising address for the advancement of a wide range of alternative energy R&D projects, scientific centers, and specialist researchers. The Fund was created within the framework of a collaborative partnership entered into with a new government agency that was created to further the development of alternative energy for the purpose of:
- Reducing world dependence on oil-producing countries that support terror and seek Israel’s demise
- Furthering crucial global environmental interests by developing clean energy and reducing unsustainable oil consumption which is fast depleting world oil reserves
- Positioning Israel as a world leader in the field of renewable and sustainable energy development
- Creating opportunity for top Israeli scientists involved in R&D overseas to return to Israel and pursue their research interests, within a stimulating energy technology-focused scientific milieu.
- Encouraging aliyah by young researchers and scientists
Why is Israel the natural choice?
Israel, as the world’s leading “Start-up Nation” - is a natural choice to lead this global effort: it has the highest rate of scientist and engineers per –capita, more patents registered per citizen and the highest number of start-up companies per-capita than any other country in the world. Israel ranks fourth in the world in the number of scientific publications per million citizens and her percentage of the total number of scientific articles published worldwide is almost 10 times higher than its percentage of the world’s population.
- Israel is already a world leader in utilization of solar energy - the highest per capita, worldwide, and has been pioneering various areas of alternative energy technologies for decades:
- Israel’s groundbreaking achievements in developing solar energy, already in the early 1980s, can be seen in California’s import of Israeli solar-based energy fields.
- Israel’s electrochemical experts have made significant contributions to advancing safer and greener energy storage and Israel’s agricultural innovations provide the foundation for industrial processes to convert foliage and agricultural refuse into easily transportable fuel.
- Israel is leading in the race to develop a cost-effective electric car
How does it work?
The Alternative Energy Initiative will be financing three primary areas designed to further scientific understanding and development of this important field:
1. I-CORE - Israel Centers for Research Excellence
2. Research grants
3. Seed investments to assist the development of “proof of concept” working models