In late 2019, Israel approved the Israel National Quantum Initiative (INQI), a five-year program with a budget of NIS 1.25 billion (~USD 390 million). The initiative was a joint venture of the Israel Innovation Authority, the Council for Higher Education’s Planning and Budgeting Committee, and the Ministries of Defense, Science, and Finance, operating through the TELEM Forum for National R&D Infrastructure, as reported by Globes.
A government committee had originally proposed NIS 300 million focused on academic institutions, but the final recommendation expanded to NIS 1.25 billion covering the full national ecosystem. According to Globes, the program was designed to promote quantum science and innovative technological applications, including advanced encryption, code-breaking capabilities, and complex simulations.
Israel’s investment was directed at research, human capital development, industrial projects, and international R&D cooperation. About 60 percent of the initiative’s funds were allocated to academia, with plans to shift the balance toward industry as the field matured.