JERUSALEM, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology on Thursday announced a five-year national plan to promote blue technology, or marine innovation.
The aim of the plan is to develop a broad, diverse, world-leading ecosystem and promote blue technology research, data collection, sea mapping, maritime education, and investments, the ministry said in a statement.
The plan involves sea monitoring, marine experiments, the establishment of a national maritime database, the improvement of academic expertise, and the promotion of international cooperation.
Among the main national targets of the plan are increasing the number of companies operating in the field from 80 to 300 by 2030, and the number of employees from 1,500 to 10,000.
Experts stressed the importance of the plan due to Israel's large maritime area, its dependence on the sea for drinking water and natural gas, and the fact that much of Israel's global trade occurs via sea routes.
