The initiative to transform Mitzpe Ramon into Israel’s official “Space City” is underway, with a cumulative investment of around NIS 100 million. Creation-Space is leading the effort, aiming to turn Mitzpe Ramon into Israel’s largest civilian space ecosystem, including a tech campus with a space mission control room, Mars-like simulation laboratories, start-up acceleration programs, and international academic research.
Alongside NVIDIA as a technology partner, the investment is backed by a series of governmental, philanthropic, and private entities, including Jewish National Fund USA, the Mirage Foundation, CreationsVC, the Growth Authority and the Investment Authority within the Economy and Industry Ministry, as well as the Israel Innovation Authority and the Israel Space Agency under the Innovation, Science and Technology Ministry.
With an unprecedented cumulative investment and a Zionist-technological vision, Creation-Space, which works to establish Israel as a civilian space power, announced the launch of the national project “Mitzpe Ramon – Israel’s Space City.” The project aims to position Israel at the forefront of the global space economy. At a celebratory event in Mitzpe Ramon, attended by the Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat, the Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Gamliel, and Mitzpe Ramon Mayor Eli Winter, it was announced that the project was moving from the vision and planning stage to implementation and national adaptation.
The initiative, which has received government grants and strategic collaboration with NVIDIA, will include a campus featuring an R&D lab and a control room for monitoring cargo launches and managing space missions, simulation laboratories replicating Martian conditions, start-up acceleration programs, and international academic research. The Growth Authority has guided the project over the past two years, from preliminary research to maturation, as part of a strategic effort to transform the Negev into an ecosystem for developing the defense and aerospace cluster.
The global space industry has undergone a significant revolution in recent decades. Once dominated solely by governmental entities, it is now a vibrant commercial market including robotics, energy, and materials. In this reality, the key to success is technology that has proven suitability for extreme conditions even before leaving the ground.
This is where Mitzpe Ramon’s unique advantage comes in: Being Israel’s most isolated town, with a natural environment that closely resembles extreme conditions on the Moon and Mars, it serves as a natural and accessible “field laboratory.” The Space City initiative will enable the development of “dual-value” technologies – solutions addressing both Earth’s pressing needs and the demands of emerging markets in extreme space environments.
The Space City campus will include, among other features:
• Launch Preparation Laboratory and Control Room: A platform providing access to the space environment for Israeli and international companies, enabling full monitoring and control from Israel over mobile cargo launch missions.
• Robotics and Simulation Laboratories: Facilities combining digital and physical environments for developing and testing robotic technologies and autonomous systems adapted to operate in extreme space and Earth environments, in technological collaboration with NVIDIA.
• Classrooms and Research Infrastructure: An academic complex and international conference center hosting scientists and students from around the world.
The launch of the Space City relies on substantial financial resilience and trust from government bodies, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector. The initiative benefits from private investments, philanthropic contributions, support from the Investment Authority, and success in strategic government tenders led by the Growth Authority, the Israel Innovation Authority, and the Israel Space Agency, totaling approximately NIS 100 million.
Space City is a joint initiative led by Creation-Space, in collaboration with the Mitzpe Ramon Local Council, JNF-USA, the Mirage Foundation, and the U.S. investment fund CreationsVC.
Currently, the third cycle of the EXPAND acceleration program in Mitzpe Ramon is launching, including investment commitments of $3 million annually for Israeli start-ups by CreationsVC, combined with the professional framework of NVIDIA Inception. Partners in the program include Mirage Israel, JNF-USA, the Max-Ness Foundation of the Jewish Federation of MetroWest New Jersey, DZR-Tech Innovation Center, Synergy7, 8200 Architects, PwC, Dead Sea-Arava R&D, the law firm Meitar, and the Mitzpe Ramon Local Council.
Dr. Roy Naor, CEO and co-founder of Creation-Space, said: “Today we are turning our vision into an economic growth engine on the ground. Our model in ‘Space City’ is simple – identify space challenges with massive budgets and build companies with ‘dual-value’ solutions – those that already fit the domestic market while also being designed for future space missions. Space City will provide entrepreneurs with complete infrastructure, from acceleration programs to development laboratories, significantly shortening the path from idea to proven commercial product. This model attracts investors, positions Israel as a key player in the global space economy, and creates quality jobs in the Negev.”
The Economy and Industry Minister, MK Nir Barkat, said: “The inauguration of the campus is a historic and exciting moment for the Negev, part of a much larger puzzle that our Ministry is building for Israel’s growth and especially for the Negev. The Economy and Industry Ministry, under my leadership, has invested over NIS 14 million in the project, and together with Creation-Space, we are delivering an incredible wave of groundbreaking innovation and local pride. Through the Growth Authority and the Investment Authority, and by implementing the regional cluster model, we are turning Mitzpe Ramon’s relative advantage into a powerful economic growth engine. This effort could not have happened without a strategic vision and a deep process led by our Ministry over the past three years, establishing infrastructure for growth and investing hundreds of millions of shekels in Israel’s comparative advantages.”
The Innovation, Science, and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel said: “Israel is investing in its future today. The ‘Space City’ project in Mitzpe Ramon benefits from a broad government investment of tens of millions of shekels, combining the efforts of the Innovation, Science and Technology Ministry, the Israel Space Agency, and the Ministry of Economy. In Mitzpe Ramon, we are creating national infrastructure for deep space research. Our goal is to turn the crater into an international center for analog and technological experiments, attracting researchers and companies from around the world. We are not just funding projects – we are building the scientific ecosystem of tomorrow, strengthening the periphery, and providing Negev children and Israeli start-ups with the most advanced tools in the universe.”
Tali Tzur Avner, JNF-USA Director in Israel, said: “We are proud to be part of the vision and the effort leading Mitzpe Ramon to become Israel’s Space City. The innovative initiatives in Mitzpe Ramon and Creation-Space put the region on the map and strengthen the Negev as a place where bold ideas, education, and opportunities can grow. JNF-USA is pleased to support this inspiring endeavor, which also promotes demographic growth in the Negev in general and in Mitzpe Ramon in particular, a key organizational goal.”
Nicole Hod Stroh, CEO of the Mirage Foundation, said: “In recent years, the Israeli Negev has become a hub for innovation and technology development that impacts the world. We see this across multiple fields, and now also in space. We are happy to be part of the revolution transforming Mitzpe Ramon into Israel’s Space City and to participate in the forefront of Israeli innovation. This Mirage Foundation investment joins many other significant investments in the Negev over the past 25 years. The Israeli Negev has everything required to lead on the global stage – high-quality human capital, leading researchers and technologists, and pioneering entrepreneurship characteristic of its people.”
Eliya Winter, Mayor of Mitzpe Ramon, stated: “I congratulate Creation-Space and thank the Israel Innovation Authority, the Economy Ministry, the Science and Technology Ministry, and my colleagues Minister Nir Barkat and Minister Gila Gamliel for helping turn Mitzpe Ramon not only into Israel’s Space City but into Israel’s gateway to space.”