The EIC Accelerator - Cumulative Data & Stats | Lira | Innovation Funding
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  • NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    15·
    6 days ago

    [Edit: all is clear now, see my other reply]

    Speaking from Israel, I’m just as confused as you are. My best guess: Israel’s reputation (before the war) as a “Start-Up Nation” was well earned, a lot of technology and innovation was happening here. Arguably still is (hard to tell with all the war stuff). So generally it made sense to invest in Israeli startups simply to advance technology in general.

    But this is obviously an EU-centric program. All other countries listed are EU. So it’s still weird.

        • Saleh@feddit.orgEnglish
          82·
          6 days ago

          The program is said to be for Civilian purposes only, but a lot of these aspects fall under “dual use” and it is enough to “state” a Civilian purpose. In the context of Israel we know the government and affiliated institutions to be notorious liars.

          https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/18/eu-horizon-funding-israel

          Data collected by the European Commission and analysed by Al Jazeera shows that since October 7, the EU has awarded Israeli institutions more than 238 million euros ($250m), including 640,000 euros ($674,000) to Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a top aerospace and aviation manufacturer supplying the Israeli army.

          While guidelines regulating the Horizon framework require funded projects to be “exclusively focused on civil applications”, they acknowledge that a “considerable number of technologies and products are generic and can address the needs of both civil and military users”.

          Technology that can serve both civil and military uses – so-called “dual use” – may qualify for EU funding as long as the stated objective is civil.

          Manufacturing, Digital, Space Tech and Robotics are strong candidates for military technology. In particular Digital probably contains “cyber”-security which means both offense and defense capabilities for military uses, AI for mass surveillance by the police can be used for surveillance and targeting of “hostile” Civilians in a military context. Space Tech probably contains technology usable for spy satellites and missile systems. Robotics probably contains controls and technology usable for military surveillance and combat drones. As for manufacturing, high-tech military equipment relies on high-tech production systems.

        • Babalugats@feddit.ukOPEnglish
          25·
          6 days ago

          It wouldn’t matter, as the money that is saved is probably spent on weapons.

          • NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
            71·
            6 days ago

            What are you talking about? The money doesn’t go to the Israeli government, it goes to the private companies or individuals who applied for the grant. Are you saying that every single person and organization in this country invests any spare cash they’ve got on weapons?

      • Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        2·
        5 days ago

        I don’t know the products involved in these programs as the article doesn’t mention anything about that, but the vast majority of Israel’s surveillance tech and related policies doesn’t come from Europe but from China:

        How Chinese firm linked to repression of Uyghurs aids Israeli surveillance in West Bank Cameras made by Hikvision […] blanket the occupied West Bank.

        Mass Surveillance Fuels Oppression of Uyghurs and Palestinians Israel, Like China, Has Weaponized Surveillance Technology to Suppress Peaceful Dissent

        Even ‘leftist’ magazines have been reporting on the relationship between Chinese Surveillance and Israeli Settler Colonialism.

      • NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        21·
        6 days ago

        Trying to parse your comment… Are you saying Europe invests in weaponry and surveillance, or Israel does? Is Israel the laboratory, as in, Europe is ‘using’ Israel to tests weapons?

        I’m not really interested in this topic, but I don’t think the programs talked about here are in those industries. Will have to check.