Pathways to Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence Perspectives from Serbia and Israel 2025

7. AION Labs (Health/AI-driven drug discovery and development) Applied computational biology is a key driver of health innovation in Israel. It harnesses advanced computational tools to analyse complex biological data (including genomic sequences and protein structures), accelerates drug discovery and enhances production efficiency. AION Labs exemplifies this through a first-of-its-kind venture studio built by an alliance of global pharmacology leaders, technology giants and top-tier investors. AION Labs is developing and integrating AI technologies that have the potential to revolutionize drug discovery and development, with the ultimate goal of improving human health. The unique partnership includes AstraZeneca, Merck Group, Pfizer, Teva, the Israel Biotech Fund, Amiti Ventures and Amazon Web Services (AWS), powered by the BioMed X Institute and supported by the Israel Innovation Authority. AION Labs, launched in 2021, uses a venture studio model to connect global pharmacology leaders with AI and biotechnology innovations. By enabling cross-sector partnerships, data sharing and expert mentorship, it reduces risk and accelerates start-up success. To date, it has launched nine start-ups, which have raised over $27 million – generating private investment with a fourfold return on the funding received from the Israel Innovation Authority. Israel’s innovation ecosystem ranks third globally in active technology companies, hosting over 500 active investment organizations and 515 multinational corporations (Figure 14), and fuelling extensive international collaboration. This global engagement is evident in high-impact initiatives such as: –Merck Israel plays a key role in the OrganoSpheres Consortium, which unites industry and academia to develop 3D cellular systems for pharmaceutical R&D. The consortium focuses on optimizing 3D cellular systems for tumour models, translating these into clinical research and drug discovery. It aims to create cellular systems that mimic vascular structures and immune responses, using innovative methods to characterize cultures and AI applications, and predict cellular behaviour. –IBM’s Israel Research Lab participates in various bioconvergence projects, collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Hebrew University and the Technion. Through the AI Alliance’s Drug Discovery Working Group, it partners with global IBM labs and partners like the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim. Biomedical foundation model (BFM) technologies make use of multimodal data – including single-cell ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing and over one billion drug- like molecules – to expand the search for novel molecules while refining candidate selection based on molecular structure and dynamics.Global collaboration is essential to unlock full potential and ensure that scientific and technological progress translates into real-world impact. Through shared knowledge, partnerships and trust, we can build a more resilient and connected future. Shani Dayan, Project and Partnership Manager, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Israel, Israel Innovation Authority 2.5 Global partnerships and cross-border collaboration 27 Pathways to Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence