MIBA Participates in Midwest Innovation Delegation to Israel
Written by Bernard Bourgeois, Managing Director – Business Development
MIBA was honored to be invited to be a part of the Midwest Innovation Delegation, sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. I joined eight other economic development professionals representing seven midwest states. Over five days in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the delegation engaged directly with Israeli leaders in government and the private sector to explore concrete avenues for collaboration and investment.
The delegation was convened to strengthen economic bridges between Israel and the Midwest, with a particular focus on innovation, defense, agtech, health, and climate technologies that align with Michigan’s growth priorities. The program highlighted Israel’s transition from “Startup Nation” to a scale-up powerhouse and how Midwest partners can plug into that momentum.
The group met with top government and non-governmental organizations like Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel Innovation Authority, Startup Nation Central, and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce to discuss bilateral economic opportunities and support mechanisms for international partnerships.
We also visited a few top companies and investors such as Iron Nation, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, and Israel Aerospace Industries to underscore the breadth of partnership potential for Midwest companies and institutions.
The trip included visits to the Old City and Jaffa to underscore the important cultural and historical context to complement the economic agenda.
Participating in this delegation reinforced MIBA’s mission to connect Israeli innovation with Michigan’s industries, investors, and communities, building on a track record of hundreds of connections and millions in economic impact. We were able to create new relationships with our midwest states and talked of exploring the concept of how our states can work together to make the midwest an attractive landing spot for Israeli companies to better compete against the coasts.
