Businessman Sami Shamoon plans to set up Israel’s first environmental industries park on a 100-dunam (25-acre) lot he owns in the 600-dunam (150-acre) north Ashkelon industrial park. Among other things, the industrial park will house companies emerging from the Ashkelon Technological Industries (ATI) incubator. The environment industries park project will require regulatory approval, which means that construction is still far off. However, ATI managing director David Wazana is working hard to create it. The Israel Land Administration (ILA) owns the other 500 dunam (125 acres) of the planned industrial park.
Wazana said, “An Ashkelon municipality steering committee will convene after Passover to discuss the subject and determine its basic needs, in order to formulate a plan for setting the industrial park up.”
Ashkelon Mayor Roni Mehatzri said plans for setting up the north Ashkelon industrial park were deposited with the regional planning and building council this week. Under planning procedures, the plan can move forward only after two months, during which time objections to the plan may be filed. If no objections are filed, the plan comes into effect.
Under Wazana’s vision, the environmental industries park will be a kind of incubator for green technologycompanies at various development stages. One ATI company considering a move to the new industrial park when it is ready is Citramed Ltd., which is developing a new natural citrus peels-based complex of compounds that inhibit a wide range of bacteria, fungi, and yeast, for can be used as an additive to food and cosmetic products.
Another example is Sea-Eye Underwater Ltd., which is developing an acoustical modem for transmitting wireless video images in real time for underwater communication. The technology will enable the design and manufacture of new types of devices for underwater inspection.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on April 6, 2006
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