KKL-JNF invests $5 million in new Kiryat Shmona agritech center

The Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund’s (KKL-JNF) Board of Directors says it will invest NIS 15 million ($5 million) to establish a new regional agritech center in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, in partnership with the University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee, formerly Tel-Hai College, which is currently in the process of becoming a university.

The center is designed to foster innovation in agriculture, food technology, and environmental sciences as part of the broader effort to rehabilitate northern Israel following the war.

As part of this initiative, the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, an applied scientific research institute in the Galilee, will be integrated into the new university. MIGAL, which specializes in agrotechnology, environmental sciences, and biotechnology, is expected to serve as the institution’s primary research and development arm.

The new center, which links research, development, academia, and industry, will help “transform Kiryat Shmona and the eastern Galilee into a regional hub for agricultural and technological innovation, attract new investment, create academic and scientific jobs, and encourage positive migration to the region,” KKL-JNF says.

“The establishment of the Agritech Center in Kiryat Shmona is a practical step toward rebuilding northern Israel,” says KKL-JNF chairman Eyal Ostrinsky. “KKL-JNF is committed to building a genuine engine for growth in a region that has stood on the front lines, with cutting-edge research, innovation, quality employment opportunities, and stronger communities.”