Shikun & Binui Holdings Ltd. (TASE: SKBN) and Africa-Israel Investments Ltd. (TASE:AFIL) have been selected by the Ministry of Defense to build and operate the new IDF ICT computer campus in the Bayside Land Corporation high-tech park in Beersheva. The project is worth NIS 7 billion.
The tenders committee that conducted the process for selecting the companies to hold the franchise for building and operating the new campus found the bid submitted by Shikun & Binui and Africa Israel was the best bid submitted. The two companies triumphed in the final stage of the tender over a bid by the a group composed of Minrav Holdings Ltd. (TASE: MNRV) and Electra Real Estate Ltd. (TASE:ELCRE).
According to the tender, the two winning companies will design, construct and operate the campus for 25 years. It will be built on a 180-dunam (45-acre) site and will have 150,000 square meters of built-up space. The new campus is designed to serve thousands of soldiers and permanent army staff. All the IDF computer unit's logistics units, its cyber defense unit, the air force technology unit, Ofek, and IDF Southern Command headquarters will be moved to the new campus.
The Ministry of Defense today said that the new computer campus would be constructed as a smart base and would feature innovative design, while being based on advanced infrastructure that would also ensure efficiency in energy consumption. The units whose activity will be transferred to the new campus will vacate land in high-demand areas in central Israel. These areas will be prepared for residential construction in the coming years.
Commenting today on the selection of Shikun & Binui and Africa-Israel for construction of the computer campus, Ministry of Defense Southern Relocation Administration head Brig. Gen. (res.) Itzik Cohen said that a recent study by the Ministry of Defense showed that the cost of the IDF's move to the Negev would be NIS 57 billion, of which NIS 21 billion is being invested directly in the Negev economy.
This project is one of a series of major projects, the most important of which are construction of the new IDF intelligence campus at Lakiya Junction and construction of a training center at Negev Junction, which is already operating. The Ministry of Defense plans to expand the training center in the coming years.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 11, 2018
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