On 2 January 2023 the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure announced that Bar-Ilan University and the Technion had won the tender to establish a national institute for energy storage. The institute's primary objectives are to strengthen Israel's global standing in the field, train specialized personnel, and facilitate the transfer of energy storage technologies from academia to industry. The institute is designed to operate across all stages of the technological development chain, from fundamental research to prototype development and commercial collaboration. This initiative is part of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure's roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 – a plan published in August 2024 that emphasizes distributed storage and renewable energy. The establishment of the institute was supported by an allocated budget of 130 million NIS over five years, with 100 million NIS funded by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the remainder provided by the partner institutions. These funds were designated for research, equipment procurement, and the upgrading of existing laboratory facilities. During the inauguration, the institute launched its prototype laboratories, established with the support of the
Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, and announced the first 6 research proposals selected to receive funding from the institute. == Structure and activities ==