Uniting for shared prosperity
The Israel-China Life Science Allianceהברית למדעי החיים ישראל-סין以色列-中国生命科学产业联盟
About us
The Israel-China Life Sciences Alliance (TICLSA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the relationship between China and Israel in life sciences. Our aim is to improve the lives of the Chinese people by leveraging the ingenuity of the start-up nation. At the same time, we strive to help develop the Israeli Life Sciences ecosystem, particularly health-tech, food-tech, and agri-tech, through better access to the vast Chinese market. By fostering and facilitating mutually beneficial healthcare and food science collaborations, we build mutually beneficial bridges between these two historic peoples.
With over 1.4B citizens and an aging population, ensuring the availability of quality healthcare, as well as food safety and supply on a large scale, are currently top-level strategic priorities for China’s government. Israel, the start-up nation, boasts one of the most advanced, thriving life sciences innovation ecosystems globally, and has taken a leading role in the transformation of healthcare, agriculture, and food production.
Recognizing a golden opportunity for a mutually beneficial alliance between Israel and China, in keeping with the long-standing historical friendship between the Chinese and the Jewish peoples, David Nur, a strategic planning expert with strong connections in both countries, joined Edward Lee, an envoy of the People’s Republic of China with close ties to the highest levels of the Chinese government, to establish the Israel-China Life Sciences Alliance (TICLSA) to facilitate cooperation, as embodied in the China-Israel 30th Anniversary program.
Intimately connected at the highest levels to both countries’ life sciences, healthcare, food technology, and agricultural sectors, TICLSA is ideally positioned to help make an Israeli-Chinese strategic alliance in these areas flourish. By bringing the expertise of Israeli hospitals, research centers, universities, and innovation centers to China while helping Israeli innovators enter and succeed in the complex, vast Chinese market, we strengthen the bonds between these two historic peoples.
Areas of Activity
Healthcare and Life Sciences
Agriculture and Food Technology
Brain and AI
What we do
Bringing Israel’s Finest to China
Leveraging extensive connections in the Israeli ecosystem, we introduce the technologies, research, and innovation processes of Israeli hospitals, universities, innovation centers, as well as life sciences, health-tech, food-tech, and agri-tech start-ups to China.
Access to Leading Chinese Facilities and Organizations
Through our extensive connections,
we provide Israeli life sciences ventures with access to top medical centers, universities, R&D organizations, and commercial enterprises across China.
Production Support
TICLSA is adept at helping Israeli ventures establish local production facilities in China, including export capabilities.
Guidance Navigating the Complex Chinese Market
We help Israeli ventures handle import licenses, secure regulatory approvals, establish sales and distribution operations, as well as facilitate financing.
IP Protection
Working closely with the Chinese government and some of the best Israeli IP law firms, we help safeguard Israeli start-ups’ intellectual property.
Ongoing Ventures
Shenzhen
- Two new hospitals in collaboration with Sheba Medical Center
- A healthcare innovation fund to support the innovation center’s beneficiaries
- An IVF center and training facility
- A hyperbaric medical center (HBOT)
- A healthcare innovation center
Beijing
- A comprehensive rehabilitation center
- An international life-sciences innovation center
Xiamen
- An IVF center and training facility
- A cancer center
Chengdu
- A cancer center
- A healthcare innovation center
Nanjing
- An IVF Center
- A hyperbaric medical center (HBOT)
Strategic Partners
and Other Relationships
To achieve our lofty ambitions, finding committed, influential partners on both sides is critical. Fortunately, we are privileged to work alongside some of Israel’s and China’s premier organizations and companies.
Leadership
Brigadier General (Ret.) Hasson Hasson
Chairman, TICLSABrigadier General (Ret.) Hasson Hasson
Chairman, TICLSABrig. Gen. Hasson served as Military Secretary to Israeli Presidents Shimon Peres and Reuven Rivlin, and as a member of Israel’s National Security Council.
Brig. Gen. Hasson holds extensive experience in liaising between world leaders as well as the establishment and maintenance of discreet relationships between Israel and other nations.
David Nur
Chief Executive Officer, TICLSADavid Nur
Chief Executive Officer, TICLSAA serial entrepreneur, David has a successful 25-year record of identifying business opportunities in various industries and regions (Israel, China, South Africa, England, and Germany). Following almost two decades of experience leading Foreign-Chinese Joint Ventures, David has extensive connections in both China and Israel.
Focusing on healthcare in recent years, David was asked by the Chinese Government to assist with realizing China’s objective to improve its healthcare system by leveraging its strong relationship with Israel.
Edward Lee
Chairman (Greater China), TICLSAEdward Lee
Chairman (Greater China), TICLSAA certified attorney working at the People’s Republic of China’s Justice Department, Edward serves as an envoy of the government to assist in implementing the “One Belt One Road” global initiatives and particularly has over two decades of historical working relationship between China and Israel.
With strong ties to China’s Presidential main Offices and the Chinese political elite, Edward holds unparalleled knowledge, connections, and experience with regard to realizing commercial opportunities in China and the Deputy Director of Financial and Technologies Committee to Pacific Society of China (PSC).
Dr. Sun Yong
Chief Executive Officer (Greater China), TICLSADr. Sun Yong
Chief Executive Officer (Greater China), TICLSAA senior Chinese investor and entrepreneur, Dr. Yong’s long and distinguished career includes stints as the Jun’an Securities Business Department General Manager and Director of the President’s Office, Director of Brokerage Business and General Manager of Institutional Customer Trading at Guotai Jun’an Securities, Assistant President at Bohai Securities, Director and Executive Vice President of Yicheng, CEO of Hong Kong Shangzhan Investment Group, Chairman of Beijing Junlin Ark Investment, Xinda Guocui Industry and Finance Fund Management Partner, as well as a Management Partner at the Sino-US Green Fund.
Advisors and Supporters
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Starting a long and notable political career in 1973, after being elected to the Israeli parliament (Knesset), Ehud Olmert served as the Mayor of Jerusalem, the Israeli Minister of Health, as well as the Israeli Prime Minister.
Dr. Yong Hai Chua
Dr. Yong Hai Chua
The former Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry for Singapore, Dr. Yong Hai Chua also served as Director of Investment at the Ministry of Finance and CEO of Temasek Holdings Private Limited: an investment company owned by the government of Singapore with a portfolio exceeding US$306B.
Brigadier General (Ret.) Giora Inbar
Brigadier General (Ret.) Giora Inbar
Following a distinguished 25-year career in the Israeli Army, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Inbar embarked on a stellar business career that included establishing and managing KMN Holdings, which operates 30 entities, employs over 1,000 people, and has an annual turnover of $US0.7B. He currently holds numerous independent director positions while also supporting public causes such as the Haemek Hospital Foundation and the Geneva Initiative.
Tamir Pardo
Tamir Pardo
Servicing as the Director of the Mossad, Israel’s National Intelligence Agency, from 2011 to 2016, Pardo is one of the most respected public figures in Israel. At present, Mr. Pardo holds the position of Lamont Lecturer at Harvard University.
Tzvi Neta
Tzvi Neta
Mr. Neta is a distinguished Israeli business leader and philanthropist, having begun his career with notable service in the Israel Defense Force, where he rose to the rank of Colonel (reserve).
Under his leadership as Chairman and CEO, Automotive Equipment Group has introduced international brands like Suzuki Automobile, Bridgestone Tires, and Liugong Heavy Industries to Israel, and conducted extensive partnerships with Ford, Chrysler, and Porsche. Neta’s other ventures included key roles in groundbreaking startups like Mobileye and Argus, which were later acquired by industry giants.
Neta’s commitment to community service is equally remarkable. Through the Boxenbaum-Neta Charity Foundation he actively supports many medical, educational, and social NGOs, including the Sheba Medical Center and the Israel Cancer Association
Dr. Amir Guttmann
Dr. Amir Guttmann
Founder and Managing Partner of Aviv Venture Capital, Dr. Guttmann is an MBA lecturer at Reichman University whose long career included stints as an investment manager. Dr. Guttmann boasts a unique industry-level perspective with extensive experience in private technology company investments.
Dr. Ayal Shenhav
Dr. Ayal Shenhav
Chairman at Goldfarb Gross Seligman, Israel’s largest law firm, Dr. Shenhav heads its hi-tech and venture capital practice, advising many of Israel’s top venture capital and private equity funds, and is also an expert on international tax strategies.
Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Dr. Yoel Har-Even
Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Dr. Yoel Har-Even
Having served in the Israel Defense Forces’ medical corps for 28 years, where he eventually became Deputy Surgeon General, Yoel Har-Even, treated countless injured and wounded soldiers and participated in numerous IDF humanitarian relief missions, most recently as Director of Sheba Medical Center’s Field Hospital that deployed to war-torn Ukraine. Leveraging his unique experience, as well as an extensive academic background that includes Master of Health Administration and Master of Neuroscience degrees, as well as a Ph.D. in Business Administration, Mr. Har-Even heads Sheba Global, overseeing all its activities while shaping its mission and strategy.
Dan King
Dan King
An attorney, Dan spent his early career specializing in representing European and US business interests in Canada. Later, he represented Toronto’s top orthopedic hospital in one of the largest hospital mergers in Canadian history.
Joining NRX and rising to the position of Operations Senior Vice President, Dan subsequently served as a senior advisor to several companies, including Prophix Software, Cellbie Inc., SceneDoc Inc., and others. He has since shifted his focus to the healthcare innovation sector.
Michael Rolland
Michael Rolland
Serving as Chief Executive Officer of the OMERS Sponsor Corporation until recently, Mr. Rolland was previously the company’s Asia Pacific President and Chief Operating Officer: overseeing operations, business relationships, and growth opportunities.
He pioneered change and drove success across many initiatives at OMERS for over 20 years, including leading the evolution of OMERS Infrastructure and OMERS Private Equity: transforming those businesses into leading global investment firms. Over his long career, healthcare has been one of Mr. Rolland’s main areas of interest.
The Hon. Jerry Grafstein, QC
The Hon. Jerry Grafstein, QC
Appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1984 (retired 2020), Mr. Grafstein served on all Senate Committees, including: Foreign Affairs; Legal and Constitutional Affairs; and (as Chairman) Banking, Trade, and Commerce. Co-chair of Toronto’s Twin Relationship with Chongqing, Mr. Grafstein has traveled extensively across China. In 2020, he was also elected to the Tel Aviv University Board of Governors. At present, Mr. Grafstein devotes most of his time to serving on boards of Canadian technology start-ups that do business in Canada, Latin America, and China.
Michael Watts
Michael Watts
Mr. Watts is a partner at the well-respected Canadian law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where he specializes in medicine and digital health. Consistently ranked in the top tier of Canadian healthcare lawyers, Mr. Watts has been named Toronto’s “Lawyer of the Year” in healthcare.
Following many years of activity in Canada’s healthcare sector, Mr. Watts boasts extensive connections and deep knowledge of regulatory, political, and operational aspects.
Contact us
Let’s build bridges together