Under the banner “Together we will change the future of Healthcare,” the center will serve as a gateway to Israel’s Arabic-speaking population to shape the future of medicine.
(Courtesy of Sheba Medical Center) Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest medical center, recently announced the launch of the Kfar Qasem branch of Sheba’s ARC Innovation Center at a festive ceremony at the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center in Kfar Qasem in the presence of MKs, the Mayor of Kfar Qasem, and Sheba dignitaries. The establishment of ARC Kfar Qasem will accelerate the development of innovation in medicine, make use of groundbreaking technologies and serve as a gateway for entrepreneurs in Israel and worldwide to an Arabic-speaking population of over 300 million people.
ARC, which stands for Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate, enables entrepreneurs to collaborate with hospital staff—working alongside expert physicians to pinpoint unfulfilled clinical needs and develop effective lifesaving and life-improving solutions. Collaborating with 20 leading medical centers worldwide, ARC currently partners with more than 70 startups, which have raised over $1 billion.
“As Israel’s largest hospital, globally recognized as one of the best hospitals in the world, Sheba is proud to serve as a model of coexistence and hope by making the best medicine accessible and available to anyone, anywhere in the world,” said Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, director and founder of ARC and chief medical and innovation officer at Sheba Medical Center.
The Kfar Qasem center, an extension of the ARC Innovation Center at Sheba Medical Center’s main Ramat Gan campus, will be located at the existing innovation center in the city and will be expanded to the fields of innovation in medicine and health. The establishment of the center was made possible through a collaboration between ARC Sheba, the Kfar Qasem Municipality, and Innovation BaseCamp, an Israeli company that initiates and manages innovation ecosystems in Israel and abroad. BaseCamp is also expected to establish an industrial center for high-tech companies at the entrance to Kfar Qasem.
During the ceremony, the names of the winners of the Best Pitch for Novel Medical Solution by entrepreneurs from the Arab sector were announced. First place went to Shada Abu-Ras from the village of Ilut, an occupational therapist studying for a master’s degree in occupational therapy with a specialization in assistive technologies at Tel Aviv University. She developed a product that will help babies with muscle weakness, lack of sucking reflex or a problem with sensory regulation, succeed in breastfeeding.
“At Sheba, you not only save lives, but you also provide hope,” said the Mayor of Kfar Qasem, Adv. Adel Badir. “The fact that you chose to establish your ARC center here in Kfar Qasem is a symbol for all the Arab minority in Israel that we can work together toward a brighter future.”
“This center is the epitome of the Sheba slogan, ‘Hope without Boundaries’,” said Professor Yitshak Kreiss, director general of Sheba Medical Center. “Through innovation in healthcare we are connecting people and building a brighter and healthier future not just for Israelis, but for all people everywhere.”
