NVIDIA partners with Israel to launch $32 million Space City Campus in Negev region

In partnership with the global AI giant NVIDIA, the southern Israeli town of Mitzpe Ramon launched a new $32 million Space City campus on Thursday under the leadership of the Israeli company Creation-Space.

The isolated Negev Desert location and its natural surroundings, which resemble the Moon and Mars, make it an ideal “field laboratory” for space research.

The campus will feature a mission control room for space operations, Mars simulator laboratories, and accelerator programs for startups and international academic research. The third cycle of the accelerator program for Israeli space startups is currently underway. The control room will initiate and manage space missions, giving Israeli and international companies the ability to fully monitor and control operations at a cost up to 35% lower than comparable service providers abroad.

“Our model in ‘Space City’ is simple – identifying space challenges with large budgets and building companies with ‘dual-value’ solutions – those that are already suitable for the terrestrial market while simultaneously being developed for future space missions,” Dr. Roy Naor, CEO and co-founder of Creation Space, said.

The Space City launch was also attended by Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel, Economy Minister Nir Barkat and Mitzpe Ramon Regional Council Head Elia Winter. The Space City campus initiative is led by Creation Space in cooperation with the Mitzpe Ramon Local Council, JNF USA, the Merage Foundation, and the American investment firm CreationsVC.

A majority of the investment in the project, estimated at around NIS 100 million ($36 million), will be funded by the Innovation Authority under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Israel Space Agency, and the Ministry of Economy, alongside philanthropic and private investors.

NVIDIA will participate in the project as a professional consultant and technology partner, assisting the campus in housing robotics systems and running simulation laboratories. Technological systems designed for extreme environments on Earth and in space will also undergo testing at Space City.

An academic complex and international conference center will be built next to the campus to host scientists and students from around the world.

The global space industry, which was once controlled solely by government agencies, has transformed into a commercially vibrant field in recent decades.

“Space City will allow us to provide entrepreneurs with a full infrastructure that significantly shortens the path from an idea to a proven commercial product,” Naor added. “This is a model that attracts investors, establishes Israel as a key player in the global space economy, and can also create quality jobs in the Negev.”