The Kinneret Science and Innovation Park was inaugurated at Tzemach Junction – a project that spans about 20 dunams and includes around 7,000 square meters of advanced workspaces and laboratories. Already upon its opening, more than 85% of the built area is occupied by Israeli technology companies. According to the plan, the park is expected to generate thousands of new jobs and contribute billions of shekels to the regional product.
To understand what turns an industrial area from just another office space into an economic breakthrough, we turned to Dr. Eli Goldstein, Head of the Business Administration program at Ashkelon Academic College and a researcher of Israel’s economy, who explained that location is the key point in the story. “If the park had been established in Herzliya or Ra’anana, the benefit would have been marginal. In the center, there is no shortage of jobs in the technology sector.”
“The real significance lies in moving out of the center and creating geographic distribution of employment sources. Tzemach is located in a regional hub that also has academic institutions, such as Kinneret College and Tel-Hai, which is not far away, as well as a young population eager for opportunities. This allows graduates from the north to stay close to home and build a career instead of necessarily moving to Tel Aviv.”
But will the park succeed in attracting new employees, or is this a case of “cannibalization” of other industrial zones in the north? “I don’t think we’ll see crowds from Herzliya Pituach moving to Tzemach,” he says, “but we may well see young people from Haifa, Carmiel, and the kibbutzim staying in the area thanks to quality workplaces. That in itself is already an achievement.”
Goldstein recalls the example of Yokneam, which managed within a few years to become an international technology hub. “Mellanox, which began there as a local start-up, became a significant part of NVIDIA – that’s Zionism, local pride, and also a major source of state revenue from taxes. Tzemach may not necessarily replicate the same path, but it can certainly serve as a regional growth engine that creates employment and economic significance.”
The establishment of the park, Goldstein emphasizes, also fits into a broader trend of strengthening education and research in the north. “Already today there is talk of establishing another university in the north, and there is extensive academic activity at Tel-Hai and at Kinneret College. If higher education moves out of the center and spreads across the country, generating local demand, then innovation centers like the one in Tzemach will also be able to thrive.”
And what about the overall impact on the region? “The big advantage is diversification. You can’t rely only on tourism, agriculture, or older factories. Such an innovation center brings new industries, new initiatives, and gives young people a reason to stay here. It’s not just about thousands more employees in offices and labs – it’s a broad contribution that can change the face of the local economy.”
Goldstein also recalls a missed opportunity from the past: The attempt to establish an Intel factory in Beit She’an, which never materialized due to political considerations and disagreements over tax benefits. “There we missed a chance. Here there is a new opportunity, and it is good that it is happening,” he concludes. “The potential here is great, and if it matures – it can become a real blessing for the entire north.”