Chief Scientist and Chairman, Board of the Israel Innovation Authority, Israel
Dr. Alon Stopel is the Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Board of the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), appointed in March 2024. He brings over 30 years of experience in business development and international cooperation through R&D, technological strategy, and senior management in project initiation and execution. Dr. Stopel holds extensive expertise in both civilian and defense research and development, with deep familiarity with the Israeli and international innovation ecosystems.
Prior to his current role as Chief Scientist, Dr. Stopel served for 15 years in various senior executive positions at the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD). As the Head of the Sensors Department at the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO). In this capacity, he led R&D and implementation efforts from concept to deployment, working closely with defense industries and in collaboration with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
Dr. Stopel also held the position of Vice President and Corporate Chief Scientist at Elbit Systems Ltd., where he established and implemented a comprehensive R&D strategy supporting the company’s key business vectors. He initiated and managed large-scale R&D programs, ranging from technological infrastructure projects to strategic growth initiatives—in areas including signal processing, radars, optics, communications, and microelectronics, with budgets reaching multi-million USD levels.
Dr. Stopel earned his Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering (Physical Electronics) from Tel Aviv University, where he also completed his MBA at the Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration. He holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering (cum laude) from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. Dr. Stopel is the author and co-author of numerous scientific and technical publications.