Trilateral Industrial Development (TRIDE)

To encourage economic cooperation as a pillar of the peace process, the U.S., Jordan, and Israel launched TRIDE as a pilot program in 1996. The program, based on the model of the BIRD Foundation, will support joint venture projects by private sector firms from the three countries. TRIDE grants will promote research and development, manufacturing, and marketing of new products and technologies.

Jordan, Israel and the United States have agreed to contribute equally toward a $1 million fund for the pilot program. Like BIRD, the companies involved will pay 50 percent of the costs to develop the product, while TRIDE will provide a matching grant for the remaining 50 percent.

The U.S.-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) is administering the program in cooperation with Jordan's Investment Promotion Corporation. Together, they will identify potential joint ventures and facilitate three-way strategic partnerships. TRIDE will provide grants equal to one-half of the total agreed development costs of the approved projects.

TRIDE announced the approval of the first two projects in November 1996:

  • Shonut Probabilistic Solutions (Israel), Caere Corporation (U.S.), and a Technology Group Affiliated Company (Jordan) will develop "Arabic Scanner Software and Document Archiving Products."
  • Degem/EduSoft (Israel), Learning Labs (U.S.) and Computer & Communication Systems (Jordan) will develop "TESA—Technological Education for Speakers of Arabic."

A TRIDE delegation from Israel lead by its new Executive Director, Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, met lately in Amman with Jordan's Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Dr. Montaser Oklah, and with local US representatives. Dr. Oklah expressed his strong support for the TRIDE model and thanked the US representatives for their support.

Since its inception, TRIDE invested $1M in three projects. In December 2005, an additional $1M of funding was provided by the three countries. The meeting in Amman included a discussion on future projects that could potentially be funded by TRIDE. The next round of projects seeking funding will be presented at the upcoming meeting of the TRIDE Executive Committee. The Executive Committee members are: Dr. Eli Opper, Israel's Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, Mr. Marc Stanley, the U.S. Director of the Advanced Technology Program, NIST, and Dr. Oklah, Jordan's Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Companies interested in submitting projects as candidates for TRIDE funding should contact the TRIDE office in Tel-Aviv by phone or by e-mail, as follows:

Einat Spivak
Senior Administrative Assistant
TRIDE
03-6470710 X. 301
einat@tride-f.com