On April 8, the University of Houston Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation hosted the Consul General of Israel to the Southwest, Livia Link Raviv.

This visit introduced the Consulate to OTTI and explored partnership opportunities at the Technology Bridge.

Twelve members of the Consulate joined the tour of the Technology Bridge: including Consul, Elad Shoshan, Head of Israel Economic Mission, Orna Avraham and Melisa Steinmetz, Director of Economic Development and Innovation Partnerships.

The Israeli Consulate promotes diplomatic relations and friendship between the State of Israel and the Southwest United States, covering the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The visit began with a tour of the Innovation Center given by the associate director of industry ventures, Abria Magee.

They also toured the laboratories of Altisora, Indapta Therapeutics and TexPower to discuss the technologies those companies are working on.

The group also discussed opportunities with the BIRD Foundation, the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development initiative that supports collaborative projects between U.S. and Israeli companies and organizations.

The day ended with a lunch hosted by the OTTI team and a group visit with OTTI’s Executive Director, Chris Taylor.

“The Technology Bridge is working hard through our Consul Generals network to become an international destination for foreign companies looking to partner with the University and our startups at the Bridge. Visits like the Israeli delegation are an exciting first step to more engagement in the future,” said Taylor.