By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner, University of Illinois President Tim Killeen and some of their staff are headed to Israel this weekend. 

Rauner said the trip is meant to build upon last week’s announced Illinois Innovation Network and Chicago’s Discovery Partnership Institute that will join innovation efforts between the University of Illinois and Northwestern University. 

“We are also going to be expanding the relationship with universities around the world,” Rauner said. “And the greatest, many of the greatest, are in the nation of Israel.” 

Rauner said he’s been wanting to go to Israel to further state relations with the Middle Eastern country and, with last week’s announcement of IIN and DPI on the heels of the state putting in a bid for Amazon’s next headquarters, Rauner said the timing seemed right. 

Killeen said they want to bring Israel’s culture known as “startup nation” to Illinois. That culture has become coveted in the tech industry, Killeen said. 

“That is the same forward-looking, leading edge culture that we are working to expand here in Illinois through the Discovery Partners Institute that the governor announced last week.” 

Israel Consul General to the Midwest Aziz Ezra is also traveling with the delegation. He said the trip will benefit both counties. 

“They want to combine creativity, ingenuity, and the Israeli chutzpah,” Ezra said. “And they want to leverage breakthrough in healthcare, medical research, [information technology], biotech and smart cities.” 

Ezra said other than networking and fostering investment and innovation between the two countries, his goal is to get Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Illinois officials in Chicago. 

The trip begins Sunday and runs through next Friday. 

Rauner said no tax dollars will be used for the trip.