On 23 March 2015, experts on medical robotics from France and Israel are gathering in Tel Aviv to discuss latest achievements and perspectives regarding this field. The aim of the HCST Medical Robotics symposium is to build bilateral projects that will apply for the High Council for Research and Technology (HCST) Call for Proposal.
The French-Israeli High Council for Science and Technology (HCST) was established in 2003. It aims to coordinate and drive the scientific and technological cooperation between France and Israel at the governmental level. The HCST is comprised of scientists and representatives of both administrations. Two world-wide renowned scientists – one from each country – form the presidency of the HCST. Currently, David Harari (price Israel 2012) and Jules Hoffmann (Nobel Prize of medicine 2012) are the presidents of the HCST. Each year, the HCST launches a call for proposals entitled Maimonides on two field of research of current global interest. In 2016-2017, “Biomedical Robotics” and “Mechano-transduction and Cell Biology” are the two topics that will be highlighted.
To launch the call for proposals, the Israeli Ministry of Science, Technology and Space, together with the French Embassy in Israel and Business France have organized a scientific and industrial symposium to be held in Tel Aviv on 23rd March 2015, at Dan Panorama Hotel Tel Aviv, Ganei Yehudah room. This symposium will gather both scientists and industry representatives to discuss opportunities for future collaborations between France and Israel in the field of medical robotics, in the hope of leading to partnerships between French and Israeli bodies and allow them to apply for the calls for proposals of the HCST and the FIRAD.
Medical Robotics is at the heart of the technological innovations for medical health care of the future. Over the past decade, Israel and France have established themselves as leaders in this innovative field, providing new applications and opportunities to diagnose and treat diseases but also for restoring functions. A successful example of the French research in this field is the experimental artificial heart, developed by Alain Carpentier, which has already been successfully transplanted, giving hope to hundreds of thousands of people. On the Israeli side, there are also flourishing discoveries. I would like to refer to the artificial nose to detect cancer made by Husama Haik from Technion University. A strong cooperation already exists between Husama Haik and INSERM French laboratory.
French Israeli scientific cooperation
The French-Israeli High Council for Science and Technology (HCST) was established in June 2003, it aims to coordinate and drive the scientific and technological cooperation between France and Israel at the governmental level. The HCST is comprised of scientists and representatives of both administrations. Two world-wide renowned scientists – one from each country – form the presidency of the HCST. Currently, currently Professor David Harari (price Israel 2012) and Professor Jules Hoffmann (Nobel Prize of medicine 2012) are the presidents of the HCST.
Each year, the HCST launches a call for proposals entitled Maimonides on two field of research of current global interest in exact and applied sciences, including medicine, physics, biology. The Maimonides call for proposal is the French-Israeli Hubert Curien partnership. The Hubert Curien partnerships are the implemented program from the policy of the French Ministry of foreign Affairs and international Development to support international scientific and technologic exchanges. They are implemented with the support of the French Ministry of National Education and Ministry of national Education, higher Education and Research.
Research projects that respond to the Maimonides call for proposal shall each be supported by a French team and an Israeli team. Every year, six projects are selected, three by theme. Selected projects receive during two years funding from France (via the Ministry of foreign Affairs and international Development and the Ministry of national Education, higher Education and Research) and from Israel (via the Ministry of Science, Technology and Space).
Financial support covers salaries, research equipment and furniture, mobility expenses, and scientific meeting costs. The financial support of the Maimonides program encourages both exchanges of expertise though mobility – especially from young researchers. Especially Post Doc positions are created in the framework of this program. Therefore the Maimonides program offers to the necessary conditions to researcher teams from Israel and France to benefit from each other skills and knowledge.