What We Do
OIACI’s mission is to promote Ohio-Israel collaboration to the benefit of both regions in agriculture, processed food, and CleanTech through trade, business relationships, R&D, technology transfer, demonstrations and education.
OIACI has a focus on three key sectors:
Agriculture
The need for agricultural innovation is becoming increasingly apparent all over the world. As the primary step in food production, agriculture is a vital industry in any community — further, in this age of globalized trade, agriculture has also become a vital economic component in many regions.
Ohio is a water-rich state with a long agricultural history. Today, agriculture plays a major role in Ohio’s economy, with an economic impact of $100 billion annually. To stay competitive, Ohio farmers need to stay up-to-date on best practices and technologies that increase crop yield, reduce the need for fertilizer, and other factors that decrease investment and increase profits. For 15 years OIACI has worked with Ohio institutions to introduce farmers to new industry information through presentations, conferences, demonstrations, site tours, and other opportunities. So where does this new information and technology come from? A small country half way across the world where the need for agricultural innovation has, over decades of R&D, produced a world leader in the industry.
Israel at first glance does not seem well suited to be a world leader in agricultural innovation. With a mostly arid environment and little access to natural sources of fresh water, you may be more likely to associate Israel with beaches than farmland. However, because everyone needs to eat, Israel has had no option but to overcome its geographic obstacles. For decades the country has invested heavily in agricultural R&D to produce solutions to not only its own challenges, but to those in other regions as well. Seeing Ohio’s need for solutions and Israel’s continuing trend of innovation, OIACI brought the regions together for what has proven to be a fruitful, mutually beneficial relationship that continues
to grow.
Working independently and with institutions such as Ohio State University, OIACI has introduced Israeli information and technology to Ohio and has brought Ohio agricultural professionals to Israel to see these methods and technologies first hand.
Processed Food
The vast majority of the food consumed in the United States, and for that matter around the world, is processed to some degree. As a result, processed food manufacturing and trade is an important component of many economies, including Ohio’s where the food industry contributes significantly. In this competitive industry Ohio food producers are looking for ways to improve branding and marketing, increase trade opportunities, and expand into new markets.
Our work with Ohio and Israel in agriculture puts OIACI in a unique position to also facilitate relationships and education in the food industry, which we have been doing successfully for 15 years. In addition to opening up trade opportunities and providing educational seminars for Ohio food producers, OIACI also works with Israeli food producers interested in the U.S. market by facilitating connections in Ohio.
CleanTech
CleanTech is a broad term meaning any process, product, or service that reduces or prevents negative environmental impacts through energy efficiency, sustainable use of resources, and/or environmental protection. Over fifteen years of work with Ohio and Israeli farmers, business owners, legislatures, and other community members, OIACI has observed the need for CleanTech increase rapidly — especially in Ohio where pollutants in fresh water sources threaten drinking water.
For decades, Israel has invested heavily in CleanTech R&D; particularly in water and wastewater management. This investment, and the advances that followed, has allowed Israel to not only develop a booming agricultural industry built on water re-use and crops that thrive on brackish water, but to also become a world leader in other areas of water technology. In fact, much of Israel’s CleanTech R&D today is exported to other countries — most recently India and China.
As we have seen Ohio’s water needs grow in scale and urgency, OIACI has investigated the potential of Israeli technology to address these needs in a timely and efficient manner. This investigation culminated in a 2015 CleanTech Report which was requested by and presented to the Ohio legislature and concluded that there are several Israeli technologies that have potential to be viable in Ohio.
Since this report, OIACI has put more emphasis into the CleanTech sector, and officially began our renewed CleanTech programming this year with a CleanTech Professional Development Mission to Israel. In addition to exposing Ohio professionals to potential international solutions to Ohio’s CleanTech needs though missions to Israel, OIRI’s CleanTech programming will include facilitating business relationships, showcasing Israeli CleanTech advancements, guiding Israeli CleanTech companies interested in the US market to Ohio, and continue to monitor Ohio CleanTech needs and Israeli advancements on an ongoing basis.
In two key regions:
Ohio
Ohio is located in the mid-west of the United States. With plenty of fresh water and fertile land, the state has a long and successful history in the agricultural and food industry which today contributes nearly 12% to the economy.
OIRI works independently and with Ohio institutions to bring agricultural innovations from Israel to Ohio agricultural professionals. Additionally, OIACI facilitates trade relationships and market expansion opportunities between Ohio and Israel in the processed food industry.
In recent years, the need for CleanTech to manage fresh water pollution in and around the state has become more pressing. Water pollution is closely tied to agriculture and food production — much of the pollution, such as toxic algal blooms, is considered to be a direct result of agricultural fertilizer runoff. OIRI is investigating this and other sources of pollution while concurrently seeking solutions from Israel, a global leader in CleanTech. To learn more about the CleanTech challenges facing Ohio, please see OIACI’s CleanTech Report.
Israel
Israel is a small country with a mostly arid environment and little access to fresh water. Despite its harsh climate, Israel has exceled in industries such as agriculture & food production and CleanTech, including water and wastewater management. Today Israel in considered a global leader in these industries, not only meeting needs in its own country, but also exporting solutions abroad.
OIACI monitors Israeli progress in agriculture, food production, and CleanTech on an ongoing basis – primarily to seek solutions to Ohio needs as well as opportunities to foster trade and economic growth between the regions. Additionally, OIACI brings delegations from Ohio to Israel to attend professional conferences and exhibitions and participate in exclusive site tours of Israeli CleanTech, food, and agricultural facilities.
For the following purposes:
- Strengthening trade and business relationships
- Facilitating R&D partnerships between businesses and educational institutions
- Promoting businesses at professional events, tradeshows, and conferences
- Providing opportunities for professionals in the public and private sectors to have first-hand experiences with leading technologies produced in both regions
- Developing relationships that are conducive to solving ongoing and future difficulties in natural resource management in both regions
Through opportunities such as:
- International Professional Development Missions
- One-on-one consultations with Ohio and Israeli businesses
- Domestic and international B2B meetings between Israel and Ohio
- Educational seminars and workshops
- Promotion of businesses and technologies in professional tradeshows
- Support to and partnership with Ohio governmental entities such as the
- House of Representatives and Ohio Development Services Agency, and educational institutions such as Ohio State University
For over 15 years the OIACI has worked closely with private sector and public sector professionals in Israel and Ohio to learn the strengths and opportunities present in both regions. When OIACI was first formed, the agricultural connection between the regions was clear; both were working avidly to develop solutions to similar problems, despite their differing climates. OIACI saw the opportunity to bring the regions together to work cooperatively, trade, and educate with the goal of improving each. From that point we have grown as an organization and the regions have grown together economically. As OIACI has adapted to meet the evolving needs and strengths that Ohio and Israel have grown into over time, we have expanded the opportunities for cooperation to other sectors such as food production & marketing and water and wastewater management — a.k.a. CleanTech.
The result today is an even stronger bond between Israel and Ohio that not only benefits both regions agriculturally and economically, but also environmentally as both regions face 21st century threats to natural resources. The OIACI has had the privilege to facilitate this relationship and to continue to seek avenues of mutual interest. This spirit of mutual, international cooperation fulfills OIACI’s mission of strengthening Ohio and Israel’s economies and communities, and continues to fuel our work as we look forward.