One of the key factors in choosing a place to live is the quality of nearby employment opportunities. Homebuyers want to live in a city where they can work in a high-quality job and enjoy a good income. As a result, in cities with high-quality employment zones offering attractive positions in the hi-tech and technology industries, demand increases, and housing prices rise accordingly.
For many years, southern cities in Israel mainly offered employment in traditional industries. However, in recent years, Beersheba, the Negev metropolis, has been leading an employment revolution, offering thousands of new jobs in hi-tech, cybersecurity, biotech, academia, and healthcare.
Academia, High-Tech, Cybersecurity, and Innovation:
Beersheba is the first city in Israel to establish an innovation district – an urban model where institutions, technology companies, and startup ventures are located in close geographic proximity. This interaction sparks original and groundbreaking innovation. The Beersheba district spans 270 hectares (approximately 667 acres) and includes three key anchors of knowledge, technology, and innovation: Soroka Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University, and the Negev High-Tech Park.
The Gav-Yam Negev High-Tech Park, inaugurated about a decade ago, houses over 80 hi-tech and cybersecurity companies, incubators, and leading startups, alongside the IDF School of Computer Science and Cyber Defense, which opened two years ago.
Among the companies operating in the park are Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Intel, Dell, Taboola, and others. Around 3,000 employees work for these companies, 82% of whom are Negev residents. Once fully developed, the park is expected to cover about 200,000 square meters and employ approximately 10,000 workers from leading hi-tech companies both in Israel and globally.
Global Recognition:
The world recognizes the potential of the innovation district. In an article published in the Financial Times, Beersheba was declared Israel’s cyber capital. The article noted that “by placing the military’s top cyber talents close to commercial companies and researchers at Ben-Gurion University, the government hopes to create interaction among some of the brightest minds in the country.”
The IDF Moves to the Negev:
As mentioned, the new technology center for the IDF’s Telecommunications Division has been established in the hi-tech park, with thousands of soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers serving there. Simultaneously, construction work for the Intelligence Corps campus near Shoket junction is progressing rapidly.
The new campus, covering over 250 hectares with over 400,000 square meters of built-up area, will house all the elite technological units of the Intelligence Corps, with tens of thousands of soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and career officers. It will serve as a basis for better population distribution and make the Negev and the Beersheba metropolis a new area of demand.
A Regional Center for Leading Defense Industries:
In parallel to establishing Beersheba as Israel’s cyber capital, the city is becoming a regional center for Israeli defense industries. These industries, which serve as an international economic and technological anchor, understand the importance of their presence in Beersheba near the Telecommunications Base and the Intelligence Corps campus.
Rafael established an R&D branch in Beersheba five years ago and plans to expand. Israel Aerospace Industries is building a new factory in the city with an investment of over NIS 100 million, expected to employ 500 workers. Elbit Systems is in the advanced stages of relocating its plant to Ramat Beka, which will replace the existing plant in Ramat Hasharon and is expected to employ hundreds more workers.
The New Hospital:
As befits the metropolis of southern Israel, the Israeli government recently approved the construction of a new public hospital in the city, the Shimon Peres Medical Center. The hospital, expected to open by 2028, will have around 600 beds. This is an important step for the Negev, as it will increase the availability of medical care, improve residents’ quality of life, and provide a significant source of employment and research.
Urban Renewal in Older Employment Areas:
Alongside the expansion of the hi-tech park and the establishment of new employment centers, the Beersheba municipality is promoting urban renewal in the city’s older industrial and employment zones, transforming them into mixed-use urban areas. For example, the local planning committee recently approved a policy document for the HaMa’lacha district, which will allow for the addition of approximately 2,000 housing units near the Old City, alongside public buildings and a renewed employment and industry complex.
Tens of Thousands of New Apartments in New and Old Neighborhoods:
Beersheba’s roof agreements with the Israeli government provided the municipality with the tools and budgetary resources to plan and build tens of thousands of apartments in new neighborhoods and to carry out urban renewal projects and add residential, employment, and commercial spaces in older neighborhoods.
The combination of developing new neighborhoods and revitalizing older ones, alongside creating high-quality employment opportunities, is part of the city’s strategic vision, ensuring optimal development and offering various housing solutions for students, new immigrants, young couples, families, and seniors.
New Neighborhoods Under Construction:
Currently, two new neighborhoods are being built in the city. Pisgat Ramot, located in the innovation district near the hi-tech park and Ben-Gurion University, will have about 3,700 housing units, including sheltered housing and long-term rental apartments. Meanwhile, the Rakafot neighborhood, a villa-style one in the city’s north, will have approximately 4,000 housing units when completed, including 2,600 ground-level homes, 750 tiered buildings, and about 800 units in multi-story buildings along Reger Boulevard, the city’s main thoroughfare.
International Investors:
The municipality’s foreign relations department has become a hub for investors from around the world, coordinating visits to the city and exploring investments in real estate, hi-tech, and academia. The high-tech park has already attracted dozens of delegations from around the world, eager to learn about the unique ecosystem created in the innovation district. Real estate professionals are participating in tenders from the Israel Land Authority and examining investment opportunities in commercial real estate and tourism.
Conclusion:
Beersheba is experiencing a growth boom, creating opportunities for housing, investment, employment, and a high quality of life in a leading and developing metropolis.
For more information: Beersheba municipality
This article was written in cooperation with the Beersheba municipality and the Construction and Housing Ministry.
