There is a gaping difference, however, between conceiving and developing new technology and how products are actually sold and marketed, especially outside the confines of Israel’s borders. So what’s the next step? How can these young companies take their ideas from concept to reality and break into this vast global whirlwind of emerging technology?

The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (VTCRC), located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and the VIAB have partnered to launch The Virginia-Israel Technology Alliance – or VITAL – a new program that aims to help post-incubator Israeli companies gain strong traction in the U.S. and bring their products to market. The program is designed to complement all of the R&D and manufacturing initiatives that are underway in Israel today, while fostering economic growth throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

VITAL was created to guide young Israeli companies that have a proof-of-concept or working prototype, are in the early stages of production, or have registered intellectual property, but may not necessarily have the resources or professional know-how to broaden their scope of services internationally. The post-incubator program offers specialized assistance in business development, advanced research for applications, and marketing expertise, and provides access to cutting-edge academic, financial and networking resources that are committed to commercializing businesses throughout the U.S.

"Our goal is to facilitate the international expansion of Israeli companies through our affiliation with a world-class university research community and targeted economic development initiatives within the Commonwealth of Virginia," said Joe Meredith, Ph.D., president of VTCRC and co-director of VITAL. "VITAL serves as a ‘gateway to the United States’ because it helps to boost fresh ideas from the conception and materialization phases to sophisticated, marketable products and services."

Members of the VITAL program are selected from a prominent pool of applicants who submit their business plans and objectives to an internal selection committee. Companies with the highest caliber of innovation and vision in sectors ranging from IT to biotech to telecommunications and beyond are invited to be a part of the program based on a rigorous application process.

But VITAL is more than just a resource to help Israeli companies break into the fiercely competitive U.S. market. American executives are also affiliated with the program because of its ties to an award-winning research park, one of the nation’s leading land-grant universities, and some of the most compelling emerging technologies to ever come out of Israel.

"VITAL’s mission is of exceptional value to the VTCRC as the park continues to emerge as one of the most advanced research parks in the world," continued Meredith. "Leveraging Virginia Tech’s R&D initiatives will bring a new level of confidence and prestige to the Commonwealth. As the University continues to evolve and expand, so will its affiliated programs. It’s really a win-win-win situation."

As a result, VITAL is poised to blaze new trails in fostering global expansion through its ties to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Now Israeli companies can cut through the clutter and launch their businesses to new heights.