Pharma Giant Bayer To Launch Cybersecurity Hub In Israel

Global pharmaceutical giant company Bayer announced last week that it would establish a cybersecurity hub in Israel. 

The German multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences corporation will be one of the largest internal cyber units of a global company operating in Israel. The company will incorporate the hub into Bayer’s global cyber units.

By establishing a cyber branch in Israel, Bayer will be uniquely positioned to bring added value to Israeli business and local operating pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, the company will be able to connect Israeli businesses to its global operations in the fields of health, agriculture, and innovation. 

“As a company engaged in R&D in the core areas of life sciences, the ability to integrate with Israel’s unique cybersecurity ecosystem, alongside sectors such as medical innovation and agricultural development is an opportunity to integrate as players in the Israeli market and provide added value for Bayer and for the ecosystem,” said Hugo Hagen, managing director Bayer Israel. 

“As a Norwegian who has worked in Israel for three years, I feel a mission to promote Israel on Bayer’s investment map, and to strengthen the company’s position within Israel, and of the Israeli headquarters within the global headquarters. The ecosystem here is impressive and it would be a mistake not to try to enjoy the possibilities that exist here, and of course, I am proud that the decision was made to establish the new cyber security unit here,” Hagen continued. 

Several global Bayer executives came to Israel last week to explore the Israeli market and overall business environment in light of the Hub establishment. The delegation brought many Bayer leaders to the Startup Nation, including Bijoy Sagar, Chief Info. & Digital Transformation Officer; Gary Harbison, SVP CISO Head Cyber Security & Risk Management; Saskia Steinacker, SVP Strategy & Digital Transformation; Jeanne Kehren, CIO Pharma; Chris Sawall, Bayer Crop Science ISO & Head of Digital Security Services; Martin Bartel, Executive Management Support. 

Two of these leaders, Sagar and Harbison, spoke at the Main Plenary of Tel Aviv University’s (TAU) Cyber Week at the end of June. Cyber Week, a large international cybersecurity event hosted each year, serves as a hub for cybersecurity innovation in Israel. At the event, several senior Bayer executives met with Israeli professionals –  including the CEO of TAU’s technology transfer company, Ramot, Keren Primor Cohen, and Head of TAU’s Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Studies Professor Isaac Ben-Israel – to sign a cooperation agreement to promote groundbreaking cybersecurity research at TAU. By partnering with industry-leading companies like Bayer, Ramot is working to bolster TAU innovation and research.