Under the IIF program, the Government will provide $20 million to each successful fund manager to establish new funds of $40 million or more.

The new funds will assist early stage Australian companies to commercialise Australian research. Under the first tranche of round three the Australian Government licensed the Cleantech Australia Fund Management Partnership LP and Brandon Capital Management Pty Limited. The Government has recently licensed Yuuwa Capital under the second tranche of round three and a second manager is currently finalising their IIF licence.

Applications for the current round (Tranche 3 of Round 3) close on Monday 31 May 2010. To assist potential applicants, information seminars are being held in capital cities.

More information is at www.ausindustry.gov.au

The $200 million funding is being provided from the Federal Government’s Health and Hospital Fund. The new building will house up to 675 researchers and will be the headquarters for the newly established South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

The design team, led by architecture firm Woods Bagot, consulted with the research community, health sector and universities, seeking their ideas and input into the building design. There will be a four-week public engagement process, during which interested parties can comment on the concept design.

The concept design can be viewed at www.health.sa.gov.au/SAHMRI

The signatories to the MoU are the Australian Solar Institute and the Fraunhofer Institute, Europe’s largest research institution.

The agreement provides a platform for a wide range of research to strengthen the development and deployment of solar energy technology, including joint R&D projects, information sharing and support for skills development.

The Federal Government has committed $100 million over four years to the Australian Solar Institute.

The Fraunhofer Institute has 17,000 employees and 60 institutes. It has an annual budget of more than 1.5 billion Euros with two-thirds earned through industrial and publicly funded projects.

For more information, please click here.

Please join them for cocktails while you hear how current local Clarizen users such as ESTA (the Emergency Services Telecommunication Authority) and DuluxGroup already benefit from using Clarizen’s work management solutions.

RSVP Required:

Please email your first, last name, company, email address and phone number to secure a spot as space is limited.

For more information, please be in contact with Gil Heiman, Director of Community

T: (650) 227-0300 #14| C: (510) 205-2424 |   Skype: gheiman

E: gil.heiman@clarizen.com | W: www.clarizen.com

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor in Israel has presented industrial design awards for designers and industrialists during the annual Industrial Association assembly.

The awards are granted per the following categories:
Consumer Goods; Tools and Equipment; Furniture and Lighting; Green/Sustainable Products; and Concept Design.

“The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor is in these days undergoing a revolution in many aspects, the major objective being the enhancement of employment rates and industrial growth, and promoting innovations and industrial designs in the Israeli industry is part of this revolution” – Such were the words addressed by Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor, Benjamin (Fuad) Ben Eliezer, in the award ceremony for outstanding designs, which took place during the annual Industrialists Association assembly.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor, Ben Eliezer, notes that industrial design comprises a key instrument for indsturial innovation, for increasing our competitive capacity, and for increasing our sales and exports. The awards are destined to promote outstanding achievements, create awareness within the Israeli industry and to encourage the development of innovative and high quality products.

Rina Rothbart, Director of Design, notes that as of this year, the Ministry has branded the awards and this year they will bear their new title: The Atir Awards for Israeli Industrial Design.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor conducts additional programs for promoting and assimilating these designs:

Industrial design counselling – encouraging factories to use specialist industrial design services for the development of a product or a line of products, strategical management for innovative designs and innovative packaging designs… In 2009 the program was implemented in approximately 35 companies.

The variety of programs and activities is designated mainly for industrial designers and design-supporting organizations. The activities include financing involvement in design exhibitions in Israel, marketing productions, supporting conventions, assisting in the construction of information databases, research, exposing Israeli designs to the global market by financially backing designers participating in international exhibitions, and more.

Below is a list of Award Winners in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor Industrial Design Competition.

A. Consumer Goods Category;

First Place:

Taga – urban motorized vehicle for parents and children combining bicycles and strollers.
Manufacturer: Taga Design and Development Ltd.
Design: Taga Innovations Design Team

 Second Place:

Product: Zoybar kits for assembling electric stringed instruments which allow the composition and development of a variety of electric musical instruments.
Manufacture and design: Ziv Bar Ilan, Zoybar Ltd.

B. Tools and equipment

First Place – divided between two winners:

Mixlent – agricultural system for fodder distribution in cowsheds
Manufacturer: Lachish Industries Ltd.
Design: Amos Boaz, Jonathan Sadovski – Amos Boaz Industrial Design Studio

Gardium – Autonomic vehicle for conducting security missions and border defense
Manufacturer: G-nius Unmanned Ground Systems Ltd.
Design: Yaron Loubaton

Second Place:

Product: ForeSeeHome – domestic eye examination device (AMD monitor)
Manufacturer: Notal Vision Ltd.
Design: Eitan Shariff, Elisha Tal – I2D.

C. Furniture and lighting category

First Award:

Product: combined lighting pole for the Tel-Aviv Jaffa Municipality.
Manufacturer: P.L.H Engineering and Lighting Ltd.
Design: Sharon Danzig – Industrial Design Studio; Yael Moria –  Moria Sekely Landscape Architects

Second Place:

Product: Half & Half – Executive Furniture Systems
Manufacturer: Teknion Israel Group Ltd.
Design: Naama Steinbook and Idan Freidman – Reddish Company

D. Green/Sustainable Products Category

Product: Z20 – Solar Energy Generation Device
Manufacturer: Zenith Solar
Design: Ezri Tarazi, Uri Levin – Tarazi Studio Ltd.

Second Award

Product: Composter Dynami
Production: Keter Plastic Ltd. – Gardening Department
Design: Eran Maslem, Tal Shwartz – d-vision

E. Concept design category

Product: Bware – small water volume monitor
Design: Ariel Drach, Alex Sudak – A2

Innovative Digital Applications

 The Israel Trade Commission and The Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce invite you to join a timely trade mission to Israel focusing on Online and Mobile Applications relating to e-Education, e-Health, e-Security, Social Media, Cloud Computing, environmental and smart infrastructure software, and other cutting edge digital applications. Mission delegates will include leading e-businesses, software developers, service providers, telcos, investors, and innovators in digital applications who will investigate Israeli ICT innovation, develop collaborative opportunities and possible skills transfer.

Israel, a natural-resource poor country, has built its economy off its human capital skill base and has emerged in the last few decades as a high tech powerhouse.

 This mission will be headed by DEENA SHIFF, GMD, Telstra Business.

 Key industry influencers who are attending the mission include: Alex Zelinsky, Group Executive, Information Sciences, and Director of CSIRO’s ICT Centre; Stephen Johnston, Head of Infrastructure Services, National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA); Ramin Marzbani, Infrastructure Resource Management; and Peter Robson, MD, Kordia.

The Mission will provide outstanding business opportunities as well as a chance to promote Australia’s expertise in Israel, and its important role as a centre for innovation in the Asia-Pacific region.

The mission will include visits to the following:
o Universities and research organisations
o Chief Scientist & government programs
o ICT success stories
o New applications in e-health, e-education, e-security, social media and cloud computing
o Government Ministers and policy makers
o Social programs using online and mobile technology
o Geo-political and socio-economic briefings
o Visits to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea area

For more information, please click here.

To view an invitation to meet with the Australian Delegation, please click here.

SHOULD YOU OR A SENIOR COLLEAGUE BE INTERESTED IN JOINING this unique Trade Mission or require further information, please contact Ori Danieli (Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce) on (02) 9326 1700 or ori@aicc.org.au.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted an Israeli proposal to begin negotiations on a free-trade agreement.

In a meeting held between Ben-Eliezer, Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor and the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, the decision of the Prime Minister of India to accept Israel’s proposal for Free Trade Zone negotiations by the two nations was declared.

The deliberations are due to begin during the joint economic convention attended by the two nations, destined to convene this midyear.

On Wednesday, 17 February, a meeting was held in Jerusalem between the Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor, Fuad Ben-Eliezer, and the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia.

During the meeting of Ben-Eliezer, Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor and the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, the latter informed of the Indian Prime Minister’s decision to accept Israel’s proposal for Free Trade Zone negotiations by the two nation.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor, Benjamin (Fuad) Ben Eliezer reports that “the new process for establishing a Free Trade Zone with India constitutes a breakthrough in the two nations’ trade relations. India is one of Israel’s major trade partners in Asia, and this declaration marks the beginning of negotiations for establishing a Free Trade Zone with a substantial economic power such as India, which will provide a significant anchor for Israeli-Asian foreign trade policy. An Israeli-Indian Free Trade Zone will secure a infrastructure for mutual trade between the two nations and is predicted to augment it substantially”.

The deputy managing director for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor and head of the Foreign Trade Administration, Boaz Hirsch, notes that “this declaration is the product of many efforts exerted by us during an extended period of time to influence Indian policy, and also of the recent visit by Minister Ben-Eliezer this January. As early as May 2007, the State of Israel submitted a formal application to the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry to begin negotiations for establishing A Free Trade Zone for the two nations. A feasibility survey conducted by the two nations finds the Indian economy interested in establishing this agreement, and that the Israeli Industry provides clear advantages in actualizing the collaboration and trade potential for the two nations, to be facilitated by their establishment of a FTZ.

Israel’s entrance to Free Trade Zone negotiations with India comprises yet another spring board for Israeli exporters oriented towards the Asian market in general and the Indian in particular. We predict that the joint economic convention attended by Israel and India planned this midyear will have us reaching further agreements with the Indian party which will enhance Israeli companies’ involvement in a country as central as India.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor has in recent years declared India to be a target nation for reinforcing technological trade and collaborative relations. Since then, several notable measures for the implementation of this declaration were carried out by the Export Institute. The most prominent of these measures is the launching of the “Comet Program” in India last year, which was designed to assist exporters in infiltratingthe Indian market. This last year had seen many activities conducted under the program’s umbrella in fields such as communication, software and homeland security. This month an additional project is to be launched under the Comet Program, the Gro-Win Project, focusing on agriculture and water supply.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor is operating two commercial consulates headed by economic consuls Mouneer Agbariya in New Delhi and Elad Goz in Mumbai. Recently the announcement of an additional consulate was made, a third consulate to be established in India. These delegations, alongside additional governmental aid, will assist the many Israeli companies interested in operating within the Indian market” Hirsch further discloses that “these days a feasibility study is conducted by us to evaluate the possibility of establishing an FTZ with South Korea. We predict that attaining Free Trade agreements with these two nations will bring forward a substantial increase in Israeli export in the orient, which conforms with general global market trends”.

The Indian economy is ranked 12^th globally in GDP (behind Canada and above Mexico) . In five years, India is expected to reach 8^thplace and to supersede Canada, Brazil, Spain and Russia with an estimated gross product of 2.1 trillion dollars.

In 2008 the Indian market registered an economic growth of 6.1%, continuing the earlier growth of 9.3% in the preceding three years. In 2009 the recorded growth rate was 6.5%, and the GDP for that year was 1.28 trillion dollars.

Israeli-Indian trade relations: in 2009, Israeli-Indian trade transactions were valued 3 billion dollars including diamond trading transactions, a 25% decrease compared withthe preceding year. The scope of non-diamond trading transactions decreased by 14% and was estimated 1.77 billion dollars. Israeli exports to India decreased in 2009 by 10%, bearing the total value of 1.21 billion dollars, and imports were down by 26% to 558 million dollars worth of transactions.

The potential trade targets for Israel and India are: safety and security, computers and peripheral devices, agro-technology, medical and biotechnological equipment, telecommunication equipment, environmentalism and water treatment. India is ranked as Israel’s 10^th largest trade partner.

Federal Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water, Senator Penny Wong, announced funding today of $6 million for two Perth-based projects that fulfil election commitments under the Australian Government’s National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns program.

“Extended periods of drought and the effects of climate change have placed increasing pressure on water resources in our cities and towns,” Senator Wong said.

“The funding being announced today will promote improved urban water management with a focus on the environmental health of urban lakes and waterways.”

The Australian Government will deliver $4 million in funding, with an equal contribution from the WA Government, for the Urban Waterways Renewal project in southern Perth.

“This project will upgrade drainage into streams which will improve water quality and environmental flows in the Canning and Southern River regions,” Senator Wong said.

“It will also develop stormwater management plans and help local governments improve environmental management.”

The Town of Vincent will receive $2 million from the Australian Government to address the declining environmental health and water quality of the Hyde Park Lakes.

“Restoring the Lakes will provide a secure habitat for waterbirds and aquatic animals while lowering water use, and this will be achieved through natural systems that improve water quality,” Senator Wong said.

The National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns program funds projects that save water and reduce water losses in cities and towns nationally.

For more information visit: www.environment.gov.au/water/policy-programs/cities-towns/index.html

In December last year, the Australian Government announced a total of $270 million in new water purchasing initiatives in the southern Murray Darling Basin would be committed in 2009-10 over three tender rounds, as part of the Government’s $3.1 billion Restoring the Balance in the Murray Darling Basin program. This is the second of these tenders.

“Across the Murray Darling Basin, extended drought and the effects of climate change have been compounded by decades of mismanagement and over-allocation of water resources,” Senator Wong said.

“For too long we have taken too much water out of the Murray Darling Basin. Now the Rudd Government is putting water back, to restore the health of the rivers.

“By purchasing water from willing sellers and investing in irrigation infrastructure, the Australian Government is smoothing the transition for Basin communities as they adjust to new, lower water use limits that we can expect under the Basin Plan.”

The second tender round will commence on Tuesday 9 March 2010 and close on Monday 29 March 2010, and follows on from the most recent tender round in January 2010 which attracted considerable interest from irrigators looking to sell their water entitlements.

“Water entitlements secured in the January tender will add to the 797 billion litres of water entitlements worth $1.3 billion which have already been secured for the environment by the Australian Government,” Senator Wong said.

The third tender in the series is expected to commence in late April or early May 2010.

In the March 2010 tender, sell offers will only be accepted from the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lower Darling catchments in NSW, the Murray, Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon catchments in Victoria, and the South Australian portion of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Information on the average price of offers for each water entitlement type pursued in the January tender is available on the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website at www.environment.gov.au/waterpurchasing.

There have been some changes to the Program Guidelines and application form for the second tender round. For copies of the revised guidelines and application form, visit the above website or call 1800 218 478. Applications cannot be submitted earlier than 9 March 2010.