The strong business relationship between Israel and Massachusetts
Larry Jasinski is the CEO of ReWalk Robotics, a global exoskeleton medical device manufacturer that originated in Israel and is now based in Marlborough, MA.
Governor Charlie Baker’s upcoming visit to Israel carries on an important tradition of our state leadership—one that highlights the strong economic relationship between Massachusetts and Israel.
The business ties between our Commonwealth and one of our nation’s leading allies has fostered the development of great technology, incredible innovations and created thousands of jobs in Massachusetts and across Israel. The impact of this work lies far beyond the borders of our state and country. The advancements made from our cooperation and coordination have helped improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.
Whether through international trade missions, private sector collaboration or joint investment, Massachusetts and Israel have proven to be strong and vital economic partners for growth across a number of economic sectors, including healthcare, technology, finance and cybersecurity. Governor Baker and the delegation heading to Israel will have an opportunity to see first-hand that the relationship between Massachusetts and Israel today is stronger than ever.
There is no better example of this than what we have experienced at ReWalk Robotics. Our company, founded in Israel in 2002, sought to transition operations to the United States in 2012. At the time, Massachusetts was establishing itself as a global hub for biotechnology and medical devices. It provided an environment with intense support from state and local governments, which set the standard through strong investments in education and innovation. When ReWalk established its American roots, the choice was clear: Massachusetts provided the most advantageous business climate to grow our company.
ReWalk’s story is but one in a growing trend we have watched develop over the last several years. According to a 2013 study by the New England-Israel Business Council (NEIBC), more than 200 Israeli-founded businesses call Massachusetts home. Israeli entrepreneurs choose Massachusetts over other states a staggering 44% of the time, the best such figure in the country according to a 2012 Kaufmann Foundation study. Massachusetts has particularly piqued the interests of Israelis with life sciences backgrounds, serving as the headquarters for 11% of American biopharmaceutical companies and more than 20% of all U.S. biotech venture capital. ReWalk is proud to be included among that 20%-- 2017 marks the 5th anniversary of establishing our headquarters in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Our state leaders have done tremendous work to foster this relationship. Governor Deval Patrick did an exemplary job during his tenure, conducting annual trade mission visits to Israel to speak with businesses and investors. We spoke with him during his 2011 trade mission in Israel about the value of moving the company to Massachusetts. Ongoing conversations with top policymakers eventually led to our decision to move to the Bay State. And that support does not wane once companies make the move to the greater Boston area.
The Governor’s office helped establish a collaborative ecosystem in biotech that enabled a partnership between ReWalk and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. This effort, now in its first year, will help accelerate the development of the Institute’s lightweight, wearable soft exosuit technologies for assisting people with lower limb disabilities. This agreement will help speed the design of assistive exosuits that could help patients suffering from stroke and multiple sclerosis (MS) to regain mobility. By connecting businesses, academia and some of the most innovative entrepreneurs in the world, Massachusetts and its leadership have built a powerhouse of technological advancement.
The infrastructure for economic support between Israel and Massachusetts stands as strong today as it has ever been under the leadership of our current Governor Charlie Baker. Massachusetts’ business environment provides the regulatory, clinical, commercial, and warehousing services that support innovative efforts in Israel. This is why I am confident that more and more Israeli companies and entrepreneurs will follow in ReWalk’s footsteps to call Massachusetts home.
Larry Jasinski is the CEO of ReWalk Robotics, a global exoskeleton medical device manufacturer that originated in Israel and is now based in Marlborough, MA.
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