BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The Argentinean and Israeli governments have issued a call for research and development projects.

The deadline for proposals for the Argentina Israel Program for Industrial Research and Development, with grants totaling $160,000, is May 31. The joint program supports projects between small companies from Argentina and R&D companies from Israel in all technological fields. Both companies must demonstrate the innovative aspect of the project and its potential application in the market. Academic and other research entities also are eligible to join.

Grants cover a maximum of 50 percent of the project; companies must invest the other half.

In 2009 the Israeli company AeroScout Ltd. and the Argentinean company LocalizarT proposed an autonomous tagging and tracking system that received a subsidy for 46 percent of the project. 

The R&D program started after agreements signed in 2006 between the official National Agency for Industrial R&D cooperation in Israel and the Ministry of Sciences Technology and Innovative Production in Argentina.

“Israel is one of the main countries with which Argentina has developed an important way to generate programs and cooperation projects in research and development with innovative companies,” Agueda Menvielle, head of of International Relations at the Argentina ministry, told JTA.

The National Agency for Industrial R&D Cooperation in Israel operates in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. According to its webpage it “works to deepen ties with countries emerging as leaders in the global economy” and in particular with Latin America, whose “markets have shown unprecedented growth over the last decade.”