Isaac Herzog
President of the State of Israel
FourWard
One point of access to the combined research and application capabilities of four leading institutions
FourWard creates the shared platform that turns Jerusalem’s concentration of knowledge, research, medicine and engineering into applied research collaborations. The company continuously maps researchers, capabilities, laboratories and infrastructure across the four institutions, together with the research and commercialisation teams in each institution. When a defined challenge or need emerges, FourWard examines its components, forms the most suitable research group and connects it with companies, public bodies and other partners required to advance the work. This creates a structured process from the challenge to a research direction and a possible path forward.
Connecting knowledge, people and infrastructure to advance joint research
FourWard is a public-benefit company operating in the Jerusalem Innovation District. Its role is to create the platform, tools and operating mechanisms that enable the four founding institutions, companies, public bodies and other partners to form applied research collaborations. The work begins by identifying a challenge that requires knowledge, researchers, laboratories and infrastructure from several fields and institutions. FourWard examines the challenge with the relevant parties, defines the research question and implementation conditions, and forms the most suitable multi-institutional research group. Through its research community, partnerships with industry and the public sector, calls for proposals and focused initiatives, the company connects the required capabilities and creates a foundation for applied research, a clear research direction and a path forward with meaningful potential.
The four institutions that established FourWard
FourWard draws on the knowledge, research capabilities, laboratories and infrastructure of its four founding institutions. Their collaboration is the foundation of the company’s professional authority and its ability to form the research group best suited to each challenge.
FourWard was established by
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The Hebrew University of Jerusalem -
Shaare Zedek Medical Center -
Azrieli College of Engineering Jerusalem -
Jerusalem College of Technology - Lev Academic Center
Ongoing mapping that leads to the most suitable research group
With FourWard’s establishment, an ongoing mapping of research capabilities began across the four institutions and continues to be updated regularly. The mapping is carried out with the research and commercialisation teams in each institution, which bring deep familiarity with their researchers, laboratories and infrastructure.
When a challenge emerges, FourWard examines it with the relevant partners. On the basis of this mapping, it forms the most suitable professional composition for the research group, according to the fields of knowledge, expertise, laboratories and infrastructure required for the task.
This creates a multi-institutional research group that combines complementary strengths and gains a clear basis for defining the research direction, a path forward and suitable funding.
The vision in action
The vision behind FourWard’s establishment
In this video, FourWard board members, representing the four anchor institutions, present the shared vision that led to the company’s establishment and underpins its work.
Video source: Jerusalemnews | Jerusalem Economy and Business Conference JEBC 2026
The FourWard launch event
Shared support for a new path
Representatives of the four anchor institutions, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Israel Innovation Authority and additional partners took part in FourWard’s launch event. The event marked the beginning of joint action to advance applied research in Jerusalem.
Greetings from the FourWard launch event
FourWard’s launch event took place on 24 May 2026 at Gav Yam Campus, bringing researchers, institutional leaders, government and municipal representatives, medical professionals, industry and Jerusalem ecosystem partners together under one roof. Greetings from President Isaac Herzog, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon, Prof. Oron Shagrir, Dr. Alon Stoppel, Prof. David Harel and Tzachi Namir expressed the rare alignment around a shared purpose: advancing applied research and a meaningful Innovation District in Jerusalem.
Moshe Leon
Mayor of Jerusalem
Prof. Oron Shagrir
Rector, The Hebrew University
Dr. Alon Stoppel
CEO, Israel Innovation Authority
Prof. David Harel
President, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Tzachi Namir
CEO, Jerusalem Development Authority
Footage: FourWard launch event, 24 May 2026
An idea backed by national, academic and scientific leadership
“The district’s strength lies in the unique synergy that will emerge among the city’s institutions. Science, engineering, medicine, entrepreneurship and culture share a common space, creating a whole far greater than the sum of its parts.”
“The Jerusalem Innovation District expresses a new approach: research that moves beyond the laboratory and is translated into solutions that affect many lives, creating a direct and dynamic path from the research question to tangible outcomes for the community and society.”
“Connecting the four institutions will create a whole so broad and substantial that its results will be far greater than what each institution could achieve separately.”