25 Nov 16. Canadian-Israeli venture fund will invest in next-generation cyber-security, intelligence and physical security technologies. One of the world’s first venture funds devoted to homeland security is being launched in Toronto to invest in Israeli and Canadian cyber-security, intelligence and physical security technology companies.
The AWZ HLS Investment Fund has already invested in two Israeli companies and is vetting investments in other Canadian and Israeli companies. Homeland security is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, projected to grow to $544bn by 2018.
Yaron Ashkenazi, the Executive Director of HLS GP Inc., the fund’s Toronto -based general partner, who was a delegate to Toronto Mayor John Tory’s visit to Israel last week, said: “There is no real cyber-security without advanced intelligence and physical security as well, and without all three acting together. Our investments will be focused on bringing premier technologies in these three critical elements from Israel, a global leader, to Toronto , an emerging technology hub.”
The strategic advisors to the Fund include:
Haim Tomer – Former Head of the Intelligence Division of the Mossad, Israel’s National Intelligence Agency.
Erez Kreiner – Former Director of the Cyber Security Division of the Israel Security Agency (ISA).
Gary Barnea – Former Director of the Protection and Security Division of the Israel Security Agency (ISA).
Lt. Gen. (Ret) Michael Day – Former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Special Operations Forces Commander, CAF senior Military Officer in the Defence Policy Group, and the Chief Strategic Planner for the future of the CAF
Mr. Ashkenazi will be joined by the three Israeli advisors in Toronto during the week of November 28 th, to advance the establishment of Canadian subsidiaries of the Israeli companies invested in by the HLS Fund. Mr. Ashkenazi and the three Israeli advisors will be available for media interviews throughout that week. (Source: Yahoo!/CNW)
24 Nov 16. Resources for the Gripen Project Are Guaranteed In the 2017 budget, Says Minister of Defense. The federal government budget for 2017 has already secured the value of 1.5bn reals for the Gripen NG project, Brazilian Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said on Nov. 22 after opening of the Gripen Design and Development Network (GDDN) in Gavião Peixoto (SP).
“The resources are guaranteed for the project to follow its schedule, which is going very well,” said Jungmann.
Brazil will invest about US$ 5bn in the project that includes the purchase of 36 fighter aircraft that will be delivered between 2019 and 2024. The GDDN is the main landmark in the technology transfer process between Brazil and Sweden on the Gripen NG project. It is the first in the list of 60 offset projects (industrial, technological or commercial compensation) valued at US $9bn. The site is where development, testing and verification projects, as well as for the storage of support systems for the new Brazilian fighter plane, the Gripen NG, will be carried out. The process of technology transfer will take place mainly through the GDDN, whose package involves capacity building, production and maintenance. The minister also defended that the choice of the Swedish fighter to equip the Brazilian Air Force, which he said was the best from the standpoint of technology, defense and technology transfer, and which will increase the technical and operational capacity of the Brazilian aerospace industry.
“The understanding of the Brazilian Air Force was that the best project for Brazil, for the defense of Brazil, was the Gripen. Today, we can prove that, in fact we have taken the best option,” the minister said during the event.
Jungmann described the timing of the inauguration of the GDDN as a milestone due to the lengthy process involving the F-X2 project between Brazil’s decision to replace 20-year old fighter aircraft which culminated in the choice of Gripen, announced in 2013.
For the Air Forc