Israel Intelligence Agency Offers Grants To Develop New Espionage Techniques

Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency is offering grants up to 2 million shekels ($570, 000) per project as part of an investment fund to help develop new espionage techniques.

Mossad was seeking technologies in various fields that include robotics, miniaturization and encryption and automated methods of gleaning information from documents, according to a government statement released Tuesday.

A statement by the new fund, called Libertad, said it would be willing to give grants of up to 2 million shekels per project in exchange for non-exclusive rights to the technology, Japan Times reported.

“The Mossad wants to encourage innovation and creation of groundbreaking technology … the technology developed will be implemented by us, in cooperation between the parties,” Libertad explained in a document.

It advised potential applicants to “closely observe” areas of interest on its website, and said that calls for proposals would be posted publicly.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a short video clip on Twitter showing possible futuristic technology and wrote: “Mossad will continue to be sophisticated, daring and ground-breaking in its paramount task of ensuring Israel’s security.”

Libertad’s document said “anyone” could apply, suggesting that the offer was open too to foreign companies though it did not give details. It added that an approved programme could be made only with an incorporated company.