Building diverse human capital Emerging fields like bioconvergence face significant human capital challenges. To address these, the Israel Innovation Authority established the Human Capital Fund, which supports targeted training programmes aimed at expanding the talent pool, accelerating start-up creation and reinforcing Israel’s global leadership in the sector. To date, the authority has supported the training of 1,000 biologists and engineers through specialized programmes, including 12 initiatives funded with NIS 5.6 million, alongside other national talent development efforts totalling NIS 3.5 million. The following two programmes demonstrate the tangible impact of these efforts. –SpearHealth, part of the 8400 Health Network, is a unique training programme for senior technology and business professionals transitioning into the healthcare sector. It offers a structured path combining in-depth industry knowledge, hands-on experience and direct access to the ecosystem. Since its launch, 130 participants have graduated – 50% of whom have moved into executive or entrepreneurial roles – resulting in 30 new ventures. –AlphaWave by BrainstormIL focuses on nurturing multidisciplinary talent in bioconvergence and cultivating collaboration between academia, industry and entrepreneurship. The programme trained 80 participants (over 50% women) out of 400 applicants, with 40% of alumni now working in the industry. It also contributed to two Innovation Authority-funded initiatives. Notably, one of these is working towards company formation. Supporting multidisciplinary R&D Multidisciplinary R&D is central to Israel’s bioconvergence strategy. The Israel Innovation Authority invested NIS 308 million (approximately $94 million) in bioconvergence companies, while the Ministry of Science and Technology granted NIS 40 million (approximately $12 million) in academic research. These investments support innovations such as smart implants, cybernetic tissues, non-invasive brain sensors and environmental sensing. In both 2023 and 2024, NIS 20 million (around $6 million) was allocated for bioconvergence research. A new national call for proposals in “theranostics” for 2025 was also issued. As shown in Figure 11, healthcare leads in supported projects (38%), followed by food (18%), agriculture (15%) and environment (12%). This cross-sector investment approach reinforces Israel’s commitment to translating cutting-edge research into real-world solutions. Supported projects by sector 2023-2024 FIGURE 11 Healthcare 38% Food 18% Agriculture 15% Industry 15% Environment 12% Construction 1% Security 1%Supported projects by sector (2023-2024) 18%38% 15%12% 15% Source: Israel Innovation Authority. (2025). Internal database. To date, the authority has supported the training of 1,000 biologists and engineers through specialized programmes in bioconvergence. Pathways to Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence 23

Pathways to Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence Perspectives from Serbia and Israel 2025