Leveraging Israeli DefenseTech to Elevate Michigan’s Global Defense Leadership
Written by Esther Loewy, MIBA Senior Director of Market Expansion – Michigan/US
With defense contributing over $30B annually to Michigan’s economy, I was honored to participate in two pivotal defense tech innovation events in Israel. In addition to gaining valuable insights into the technologies transforming global warfare, these events provided me the opportunity to raise awareness among key opinion leaders in the military, industry, venture capital, consulting firms, and startups about why Michigan is a prime destination for defense innovation, including:
- #1 in U.S. Military Production: Leading the nation in military manufacturing.
- 4,000 Defense-Related Businesses: A robust network of companies supporting defense, aerospace, and homeland security sectors.
- 10 Universities Dedicated to Defense Tech: Promoting research and development in cutting-edge defense technologies.
- Detroit Arsenal: Contributing 70% of Army purchases and hosting Army Futures Command, focused on acquisition, logistics, technology, and R&D.
Israel DefenseTech Innovation Day
The first event, Israel DefenseTech Innovation Day, was organized by leading U.S. and Israeli venture capital firms, NightDragon and 10D, and hosted at Herzog Law Firm. The keynote by Brig. Gen. (res) Dr. Daniel Gold, Head of IMOD/DDR&D and chief architect of the Iron Dome, highlighted the long-standing U.S.-Israel defense cooperation and the Israel Ministry of Defense’s Innovation Toolset, which works with over 270 startups and SMEs.
Dr. Gold’s key insights included:
- The surge in private investments in dual-use technologies and increased VC transaction volume in the U.S.
- Opportunities in transforming commercial technologies into defense R&D
- A growing demand for U.S. DefenseTech
Speakers and attendees included executives from McKinsey, Elbit Systems, IAI, and Rafael, as well as military and intelligence agency representatives and successful DefenseTech founders scaling their innovations globally, such as Xtend, SightX, and Toka.
Representing Michigan at the DefenseTech Summit
I was also proud to represent the state of Michigan at the Shaping the Future of Defense – DefenseTech Summit, held December 10-11 at Tel Aviv University. Hosted by the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center, the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop, and in collaboration with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), the summit highlighted Israel’s strategic role in global security innovation. The impressive Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel chaired the conference.
This premier gathering of global leaders in defense technology brought together over 1,000 attendees, including 80 senior leaders from industry, military, academia, NGOs, startups, and venture capital firms. Global sponsors and partners included Palantir, Nvidia, Matrix, E&Y, McKinsey, Lockheed Martin, Elbit, Raphael, IAI, Viola Ventures, NightDragon, and qFund.
Key Takeaways from the Summit
The summit provided a comprehensive look at the latest advancements in DefenseTech, with practical lessons from Israel’s cutting-edge solutions addressing global security challenges. Notably, DefenseTech has become one of the hottest areas for U.S. and global VCs, as highlighted by Shaun Maguire of Sequoia Capital. His insights on the evolution of the defense sector were drawn from his extensive background as an entrepreneur, with experience at DARPA and Palo Alto Networks.
One major theme of the summit was the dual-use technologies ecosystem, which creates innovations that serve both civilian and defense needs. Discussions also centered on:
- The Future of Warfare
- Autonomous Systems & AI-Driven Warfare
- Defense Startups & Innovation Ecosystems
- Robotic Combat Vehicles
- UAVs & Drones
- Cybersecurity & Information Warfare
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Medical Technologies for Battlefield Care
- International Collaboration
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Focus
The summit dedicated a full day to Innovation and Entrepreneurship, discussing critical topics such as:
- How the ongoing war has transformed the startup and investment landscape
- Predictions for the future of the defense tech ecosystem
- How Israel can continue reshaping the global defense tech industry
This was an invaluable opportunity to explore the innovations that are shaping the future of defense and to strengthen Michigan’s role as a leader in the defense sector.
