The Israeli Association of Advanced Industries: Biomed companies are vital enterprises

The Israeli Association of Advanced Industries IATI has issued an urgent letter to the Prime Minister of Corona, the Ministers of Economy, Health and Science and other government bodies in which he seeks to recognize certain high-tech and biomed companies as vital enterprises.
"We want to make it clear that the advanced industries in Israel are not 'one-piece' and each of the companies has different and diverse characteristics," it said. "Most companies that can maintain a 'work from home' format already do so and will expand this trend in accordance with government decisions and guidelines for the forthcoming closure. In contrast, there are companies that have manufacturing plants and unique activities that can only take place in dedicated facilities (such as chip manufacturing plants with "clean rooms", high-tech companies that use state-of-the-art servers, life sciences companies that use laboratories and advanced medical and research equipment, etc.).
Karin Meir Rubinstein, CEO and President of IATI, told Calcalist: "During the previous closure, the high-tech industry was able to maintain the minimum required for stable activity in factories and development centers. Of course the rest of the activity was converted to work from home and many of the companies continued to carry out work in this format, even after leaving the previous quarantine.
"The purpose of the current closure is completely understandable and it is a common goal for all of us to reduce morbidity and control the plague. However, it is still necessary to allow the preservation of necessary activity in vital enterprises in the high-tech and biomed industry, in a way that will prevent harm to the Israeli economy and preserve the advanced industry as the growth locomotive of the entire economy. "