Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Global Technology Director Serena Stone MBE visited Israel last week on her first bilateral visit in the role, in a move aimed at strengthening UK-Israel technology partnerships and expanding cooperation across innovation, research and emerging technologies.
During the visit, Stone met Israeli entrepreneurs, researchers and technology leaders working in fields including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, health-tech and scientific research. The visit highlighted Israel’s role as one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems and the UK’s interest in deepening ties with Israeli companies and research institutions.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Global Technology Director Serena Stone MBE
(Photo: British Embassy in Israel)
The program showcased the work of the British Embassy in Israel’s prosperity teams, including the Science and Technology Network, the UK-Israel Tech Hub and the Department for Business and Trade. The teams work together to promote cooperation between the UK and Israel across science, technology, business and innovation.
Stone visited the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, where she met companies already working with the UK and was briefed on Israel’s broader innovation landscape. She also visited Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where she saw how new technologies are being used in clinical settings to improve patient care.
The hospital visit included presentations from founders of Israeli health-tech companies that have taken part in British Embassy programs, underscoring the role of international partnerships in helping Israeli companies develop and expand.
Stone’s visit concluded with a tour of the Weizmann Institute of Science, where she was briefed on the institute’s research, innovation and technology transfer work, as well as its long-standing partnerships with UK institutions.
The visit also emphasized the UK’s position as one of Europe’s leading technology ecosystems and as a potential base for Israeli companies seeking to scale internationally. British officials pointed to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, which focuses investment on high-growth sectors including digital technologies, life sciences and clean energy.
(Photo: British Embassy in Israel)
“Technology remains one of the strongest pillars of the UK-Israel relationship, connecting us with many of Israel’s most internationally minded and forward-looking partners,” Stone said. “London and Tel Aviv are two of the world’s leading innovation hubs, and together they create powerful opportunities for collaboration across research, investment and emerging technologies.”
“As more Israeli companies choose the UK as their natural European base, we are creating opportunities for innovation, growth and prosperity that benefit both our countries,” she added.
Thomas Phipps, chargé d’affaires at the British Embassy in Israel, said the visit reflected the strength of Israel’s innovation sector and the potential for deeper cooperation with Britain.
“Israel’s innovation ecosystem continues to make an outsized contribution to global technological progress,” Phipps said. “This visit was an invaluable opportunity to meet the entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators driving advances across AI, health-tech and other critical technologies, and to see first-hand the strength and ambition of Israeli innovation.”
“The UK is a natural partner for that ambition, offering a world-leading technology ecosystem, a strong investment environment and a gateway to international markets for companies looking to scale globally,” he added.