Business ties are growing between Israel and Arizona, and especially the University of Arizona, due to the convergence of several key factors in recent months. “The state and university are on board to promote relationships with Israel,” says J. Edward Wright, Ph.D., director of the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies, U of A.
In February Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Sonora, Mexico, Gov. Guillermo Padrés announced a joint initiative to persuade high- tech industries interested in expanding in North America to base that growth in Arizona and Sonora. In June the two governors will be in Israel meeting with potential transplants.
Companies that locate facilities here will be able to take advantage of the low-cost manufacturing capabilities in Sonora and the high-tech research and development facilities at the U of A Tech Park in south Tucson.
Called Global Advantage, the partnership will target four countries, including Israel. The Israeli market has been targeted because it is a small nation with a large number of tech startups, including 600 in Tel Aviv alone. Global Advantage is a partnership between the U of A Tech Parks and the Offshore Group, which has manufacturing sites in Sonora.
The governors have scheduled meetings with Israeli companies involved in aerospace defense and renewable and solar energy to take advantage of the expertise in those fields in Arizona and Sonora. Their governors’ visit will overlap with a tour Wright is leading May 24 to June 11 to promote expanding academic connections with Tel Aviv University. U of A already has connections with Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University and the University of Haifa.
“We are looking to expand the exchange of faculty and students,” says Wright, noting they are also working on research and teaching missions.
Wright says he has volunteered to help the governors in their efforts using his department’s existing connections.
In addition, the Judaic studies center is adding Israeli faculty. In the fall, Asher Susser, Ph.D., of the Dayan Center will join U of A as the first Professor of Israel Studies, which Wright says is the first step in creating an Institute for Israel Studies. With the arrival of Susser, Judaic studies will have five Israelis on the department faculty.
“These are fascinating projects all coming together at the same time,” says Wright.
