Epicos.com, the leading international e-business portal for Aerospace, Defense, HLS and high technology industries, has published a special newsletter on Israel’s Homeland Security (HLS) industry (08.02.2010)

Epicos.com, the leading international e-business portal for Aerospace, Defense, HLS and high technology industries, has published a special newsletter on Israel’s Homeland Security (HLS) industry (08.02.2010)

In this publication, you will find an exclusive interview with Mrs. Bina Bar-On, Director General of the Industrial Cooperation Authority (ICA) in Israel.

Additionally, the newsletter presents a comprehensive directory of the Israeli HLS industry and a review about the ICA, its assignments and activities.

All the articles are accessible on the Epicos web site. Its appears here, with their kind permission.

Click Here to read the Newsletter

Navistar Corporation and the Industrial Cooperation Authority (ICA) Sign a 10-Year Framework Agreement for Undertakings for Industrial Cooperation (01.02.2010)

Navistar Corporation and the Industrial Cooperation Authority (ICA) Sign a 10-Year Framework Agreement for Undertakings for Industrial Cooperation (01.02.2010)

Navistar is one of the largest Heavy Goods Vehicles manufacturers in the US, producing some 160,000 trucks each year as well as diesel engines for buses and defense vehicles. The company has annual revenue of $15 billion.

Bina Bar-On, Director General of the ICA: “The signing of the new Undertakings for Industrial Cooperation agreement will keep Israel’s automotive industry in the US despite the difficult crisis in the global vehicle industry.”

Persio Lisboa, Navistar’s VP Procurement and Logistics and Armando Medina , International Procurement Director were both in Israel to sign the 10-year framework agreement for Undertakings for Industrial Cooperation. This is a follow-on agreement that will expand cooperation to the defense sector, said Bina Bar-On, Director General of the ICA.

Bina Bar-On said, “The signing of the new Undertakings for Industrial Cooperation agreement will keep Israel’s automotive industry in the US despite the difficult crisis in the global vehicle industry.”

Zvi Leshem, Director Special Industrial Cooperation (Automotive, Rolling Stock and Computers) said, “Since 1994 Navistar has proven that it meets its buy back commitments amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels to the State of Israel, which is a most major contribution to the development of the vehicle sector in Israel.”

Shimon Yogev, Navistar’s representative in Israel on the subject of buy back agreements said, “Navistar has invested great efforts, above and beyond its commitments, in developing Israeli suppliers, and Mr. Lisboa pledges that these special relations will be maintained in the future.”

Navistar is one of the largest Heavy Goods Vehicles manufacturers in the US, producing some 160,000 trucks each year as well as diesel engines for buses and military vehicles. The company has annual revenue of $15 billion. Over the past 15 years while the company has been engaged in business in Israel, Navistar has sold the Israel Defense Forces thousands of trucks, buses and armored vehicles.

Over the past decade, following its buy back commitments, Navistar has purchased $330 million worth of products from Israeli suppliers including $120 million in the automotive industry and $210 million in the defense vehicle sector. The company has trained and authorized 14 suppliers including Oman , Supergum, Ditron, Tadirgan, Eltam, Matechet Maayan, Oren, Ornit and more.

In the picture (from left): Mr.Shimon Yogev - Navistar’s representative in Israel, Mrs. Bina Bar-On - Director General of the ICA,  Mr.Persio Lisboa- Navistar’s VP Procurement and Logistics, Mr. Armando Medina - Navistar's International Procurement Director, Mr.Zvi Leshem - Director Industrial Cooperation (ICA) 

The Industrial Cooperation Authority (ICA) has signed an Agreement to extend the EPICOS Program in Israel for an Additional Three Years period (03.01.2010)

The Industrial Cooperation Authority (ICA) has signed an Agreement to extend the EPICOS Program in Israel for an Additional Three Years period (03.01.2010)

ICA Director General Bina Bar-On, “Over the past two years Israeli industry has been exposed to many industrial cooperation opportunities due to participating in this unique program.”

The program has completed its first two years of operation with the participation of 114 Israeli companies in the Defense, Aerospace and Homeland Security sectors.

ICA's Director for Defense Related Industrial Cooperation Zvi Michaelovitz said, “As part of this program, small and medium-size local industries were closely supported by the EPICOS team, in their contacts with leading international companies and foreign governments that seem to be potential large-scale customers.”

Ms. Bar-On said that the program is designed to expand the range of business opportunities for the Israeli industry, through access to international tenders in the Aerospace, Defense, High-Tech and Dual-Use sectors and is in fact, an additional marketing tool for Israeli industry overseas. Those taking part in the program, enjoy worldwide exposure to potential customers in these areas.

The program, managed by the ICA together with the Greek company EPICOS, and the Israeli company Impact, allows Israeli companies to benefit from exposure to business opportunities in the international market worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

As in the past two years, all those Israeli companies taking part in the program for the next three years will now benefit from having the service funded by the ICA, which otherwise costs thousands of dollars annually. These companies will receive close support from the operators of the program to produce maximum exposure focused on tenders that are suitable for each company, with the aim of increasing exports and finding new markets for Israeli industry.

An identical program to this one is being operated with exceptional success in 16 countries worldwide including Switzerland, Brazil, Austria, Holland, Colombia and others. 

Israeli companies in the defense, aerospace and homeland security sector were chosen to take part in the original two-year program with the aim of upgrading their global marketing capabilities and taking advantage of opportunities to win international tenders of governments worldwide worth millions of dollars. In light of the experience gained in operating the program over the past two years, it is being continued for an additional period of three years. The program provides companies with access to EPICOS’ site in the international commerce e-marketplace – a B2B site including business opportunities in international procurement and industrial cooperation (offset deals).

The program also enables each company to advertize its capabilities on a dedicated page on the EPICOS web site, including a bi-annual advertizing campaign of the Israeli industry.

The program also includes a business information service by the Israeli located company, Impact Group Ltd.

This company specializes in collecting and analyzing business data and information, and in particular information relevant to Israeli manufacturers regarding tenders, business information, publications about the plans of various countries to purchase equipment, business cooperation between international companies and more.

Participants in the program receive weekly reports, which detail this information and related to business opportunities relevant for them, from all over the institutional world.

There are also telephone help desks in Israel and abroad, which serve the participants.

Participation in the program and the services for all five years is being completely funded by the ICA.   

Bombardier and the Industrial Cooperation Authority (ICA) have Signed a 10-Year Umbrella Industrial Cooperation Agreement for Industrial Cooperation (03.01.2010)

Bombardier and the Industrial Cooperation Authority (ICA) have Signed a 10-Year Umbrella Industrial Cooperation Agreement for Industrial Cooperation (03.01.2010)

Over the past 10 Years, Bombardier Has Served as the Main Supplier for Israel Railways, and consequently a Partner in the Impressive Development of the Railway Industries Sector in Israel

Bina Bar-On, Director General of the ICA:

 “In recent years the ICA has put special emphasis on the development of Israeli industries to become authorized suppliers to railway manufacturers worldwide, and we see significant development on this subject. The major tender just published by Israel Railways, is significantly leveraging for these industries, and we expect their noticeable participation in the proposals to be submitted by those bidding for this tender.”

Bombardier and the Industrial Cooperation Authority (ICA) of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, have signed in Jerusalem, a 10-Year Umbrella Industrial Cooperation Agreement for Industrial Cooperation (buy-back).

Over the past 10 years, Bombardier has served as the main supplier for Israel Railways and as partner in the impressive development of the railway industries sector in Israel. While in 1990 the number of passengers using the country’s railways was close to zero, in 2009 Israel Railways carried more than 35 million passengers.

Since the supply of Bombardier's red painted train cars – a product developed in cooperation with Israel Aerospace Industries Ramta Division in Beer Sheva – between 2001 and 2006, they have become to visually symbolize Israel Railways in the eyes of the Israeli public. Bombardier is eager to carry on shaping the development of Israel’s railways industry in the future and is certain that it can achieve this with the assistance of its staff at Bombardier Israel.

Bina Bar-On, Director General of the ICA said, “In recent years the ICA has put special emphasis on the development of Israeli industries to become authorized suppliers to railway manufacturers worldwide, and we see significant development on this subject. The major tender just published by Israel Railways is significantly leveraging for these industries, and we expect their noticeable participation in the proposals to be submitted by those bidding for this tender.”

Stefan Krantz, President of Bombardier’s Transportation Division said, “The signing of this strategic agreement for Industrial Cooperation, is a big step and important achievement for Bombardier and testifies on one hand the full confidence that Bombardier enjoys from the State of Israel and on the other hand, the strategic importance that Bombardier worldwide corporation, pays to the Israeli market.”

Yossi Daskal, President of Bombardier Transportation Israel Ltd. said that, “Bombardier has proven over the years that it meets Industrial Cooperation commitments to the State of Israel, which have totaled hundreds of millions of shekels, and more than that, the company has proven that it is investing , and will continue to invest, the necessary efforts to develop Israel’s railway and aircraft industry and enabling Israeli suppliers to take part in Bombardier’s international world wide projects.”

The supply of train cars by Bombardier to Israel Railways over the years has created by law an Industrial Cooperation obligation totaling hundreds of millions of shekels. Over these years, through an uncompromising search for Israeli suppliers, and through close cooperation with ICA director general Bina Bar-On and director of special industrial cooperation Zvi Leshem, Bombardier has fulfilled its buy-back commitments to Israel and even exceeded its obligations.

Eran Cohen, VP Bombardier said, “We have worked and are working first and foremost as Israelis dedicated to locate local suppliers who can become part of the international railways industry, whose revenues total €150 billion annually. Our vision as Israelis working for a leading international company in the railway and aircraft manufacturing sector, is to leverage this platform and help local suppliers through developing Israel ’s railways industry. There is no reason why Israel , having a developed high-tech industry should not a developed railways industry, with local suppliers that can carve out a place for themselves and enjoy vast revenues which this industry generates worldwide.”

Company Background

Bombardier Transportation:

Bombardier is a Canadian Corporation, while Bombardier Transportation is a headquartered in Europe. The company operates in more than 80 countries and over the years has supplied more than 100,000 rail cars and engines of various types. Bombardier Group offers the most wide ranging and rich portfolio in the railways sector and is considered a world leader in the railway industry field.

Bombardier worldwide is a leader in providing innovative travel solutions from passenger aircraft and executive jets to railway rolling stock equipment, signaling systems and maintenance for these products. Bombardier Inc. is a multinational Canadian company headquartered in Canada. As of January 2009 Bombardier backlog of orders amounted to $48.2 billion with revenue as of January 31 2008 of $17.5 billion.   

In the picture (from left):Zvi leshem, Director- Industrial Cooperation (ICA), Bina Bar-On – Director General of the ICA, Stefan Krantz – President of Bombardier’s Transportation, Yossi Daskal –  President of Bombardier Transportation Israel, Eran Cohen –  VP Bombardier Israel