GALILEE — Officials opened the NIS 30 million FoodTech Boulevard in Kiryat Shmona during the 12th Food Innovation Conference at Tel-Hai University. The launch of the facility follows a period in which nearly 40% of tech companies that operated in northern Israel before October 2023 have resumed activity in the region.

The figures regarding tech company activity were presented as part of a broader review of the sector's recovery. Coordinated work by Tel-Hai University, MIGAL, regional municipalities, and philanthropic partners has helped bring 80 companies back to the Eastern Galilee. Of these returning businesses, 27 are AgriFood Tech firms.

Before the war, 204 hi-tech companies were active in the Eastern Galilee. Eighty of these active hi-tech companies were in the field of AgriFood Tech. The conflict caused a sharp decline in local operations.

During the war, only seven hi-tech companies remained in the Eastern Galilee. Only two AgriFood Tech companies remained in the region during that period.

Tel-Hai University outlined its strategy for strengthening the Galilee as an AgriFoodTech hub at the conference. The institution is situated a few kilometers from the Lebanese border. The university focuses on food security, sustainable agriculture, engineering, and artificial intelligence.

Students at the conference presented several food innovations. These items included a knafeh-inspired breakfast cereal, vegan fish sauce, plant-based jerky, and ketogenic bread. The presentations showed the ongoing research and development efforts in the sector.

Ofer Rivlin, CEO of the AgriFood Tech Northern Partnership, discussed the objectives of the recovery efforts. "We are working intensively to bring hi-tech companies – including FoodTech and AgriTech start-ups – back to the Galilee, and to attract new ones," Rivlin said. He noted that this activity is critical because it is the main growth engine for the Eastern Galilee.

Rivlin added that the new infrastructure would support broader ambitions for the sector. "It will allow entrepreneurs and industry leaders to turn the Galilee into a global leader in food and agriculture innovation," he said.

The FoodTech Boulevard is designed to bring together scientific research, technological development, entrepreneurship, and industry. The facility is part of the planned NIS 55 million National Food Institute. The National Food Institute aims to anchor the Galilee’s role in advancing food-security solutions.

Eyal Shimoni, Deputy Vice President for Research and Development at Tel-Hai University, explained the rationale behind the investments. "We created this supportive environment to bring companies back, there’s no other way," Shimoni said. He stated that the institution should keep doing what it does, no matter what.

Shimoni described the focus of the new center. "[The center is] very focused on AgriFood Tech and will attempt to position the Galilee as a center for global food-security innovation," he said.

The return of 80 companies to the Eastern Galilee represents a significant portion of the pre-war tech ecosystem, which previously included 204 active firms. The reopening of the NIS 30 million FoodTech Boulevard provides physical infrastructure to support this recovery. The facility integrates with the planned NIS 55 million National Food Institute, which seeks to advance food-security solutions. These developments aim to re-establish the region as a hub for AgriFood Tech and sustainable agriculture innovation.