The Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, an economic development non-profit in Detroit that facilitates connections between Israeli innovation and Michigan industries, has launched the U.S.-Israel Innovation Exchange (USIIE).
The recent inaugural USIIE Summit gathered 80 economic development, corporate, and government leaders in Detroit to unite previously siloed U.S. state initiatives into a single national platform designed to accelerate U.S.-Israel commercial partnerships, cross-border investment, and job growth.
During the two-day summit (Oct. 13-14), participating organizations formalized the alliance by signing a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU.
The framework establishes a national gateway for market intelligence, investment missions, Israeli business delegations, and joint technology pilots. Overall, it creates an actionable model for multi-state collaboration that preserves regional competitiveness while uniting under a national strategy to attract Israeli innovation.
“U.S.-Israel economic collaboration is vital to the growth and competitiveness of both nations,” says Mark Davidoff, CEO of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator. “For years, states have built successful economic development strategies without the power of a collective approach. USIIE turns those individual wins into a powerful, nationwide hub. By combining our network, intelligence, and resources, we are significantly scaling the commercial impact for every state involved.”
Under the MOU framework, USIIE members agreed to support the creation of the USIIE Ambassador Network, a national network of corporate, civic, academic, and community leaders designated to champion cross-border economic growth across key sectors, including mobility, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and technology.
“Israel and the United States share a powerful foundation of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic partnership,” says Elad Strohmayer, consul general of Israel to the Midwest. “The U.S.-Israel Innovation Exchange creates a new bridge between the shared strength of Israel and the regional economies that can benefit from this important endeavor.”
The convening in Detroit highlights the strength of business alliances as essential stabilizers and catalysts for new innovation, investment, and job creation.
“A strong U.S.-Israel economic relationship is not simply a matter of trade, it’s also a strategic asset that strengthens innovation, competitiveness, and resilience,” says Chaim Martin, Israel’s Minister of Economic Affairs to the United States.
The summit featured roundtables and keynotes on capital deployment, technology transfer, and Israel’s role as a catalyst for U.S. regional economies. Leaders in attendance also recognized Laurie Cunnington, founder of the Pro Semitism Committee in Michigan, with the inaugural USIIE Gesher Award for outstanding leadership in building meaningful economic bridges between the U.S. and Israel.
Israeli innovation as a U.S. economic driver includes activities in New York, where nearly 650 Israeli-founded companies have generated 28,500-plus jobs and $13.3 billion in economic value.
In Michigan, MIBA has connected more than 5,000 business leaders, hosted hundreds of trade delegation participants, and driven $90 million-plus in direct economic impact since 2021. USIIE provides the national infrastructure to mirror these results across additional U.S. markets.
“This is the beginning of a much larger economic movement,” says Howard Handler, chair of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator. “Our vision is to build the U.S.-Israel Innovation Exchange into one of the country’s leading platforms for connecting Israeli innovation and American markets, industries, and communities.”
To learn more about the U.S.-Israel Innovation Exchange, contact Krista Siefert at krista@michiganisrael.com.
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