Our team

OUR TEAM

Simon van Dam
Simon van Dam has a wealth of experience in creating effective partnerships for scientists
and their partners within Israel, Europe and the world, while overcoming bureaucratic administrative processes

and protecting developing IP. Previously, he held several senior positions in business development, financial
and general management at a number of privately-held Israeli corporations, Quantum Securities, Ltd.,
an investment bank in Israel, Applied Materials, Inc., a US public company (NASDAQ: AMAT),
Holland Colours N.V., a Dutch public company, and El Al Israel Airlines, Ltd,
an Israeli public company. Throughout his career, Simon has successfully created & implemented business

strategies as well as identified & secured strategic partners, while raised millions of euros from a range of public

and private European funds.
Simon van Dam functioned as Project Manager of the ELAICH (Euromed Cultural
Heritage 4), MACAN (FP7), BEMOSA (FP7), TARGET (FP7), and is currently the Project
Manager for the MARE NOSTRUM (ENPI CBC) and SPREE (FP7) projects. He has also
acted as Israeli point of contact for EU Regional Capacity Building Initiative for the
European Neighbourhood Policy Initiative (ENPI) – Cross Border Cooperation (EU
appointment) and participated in the ENPI Opinion Poll and Research – Baseline
Research project as the Israel expert.

Bracha Ehrman
Bracha Ehrman was the Coordinator of the Maccabi Institute for Health Services
Research, responsible for managing grants which were funded by Maccabi Healthcare
Services. She was Maccabi’s Liaison with international organizations including the EC,
governmental offices, universities, research networks and large industrial partners, and
in that capacity coordinated collaboration in research and development as well as the
submission of joint grant proposals. As a Geneticist, she worked in stem cell research at
the Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem and set up the first Israeli umbilical cord
blood bank for stem cell transplantation.
Bracha Ehrman functions as Project Manager of the BioXplore (ENPI CBC), LITERACY
(FP7) and FIGARO (FP7) Projects.

Aaron Stern
Aaron Stern held senior positions at MATIMOP, the Israeli Industry Center for R&D,
including being one of its senior consultants on European R&D programmes, the
coordinator of the Israeli IRC (Innovation Relay Centre) and as such involved in the
various EU RTD programmes and technologies transfer activities. Aaron was also the
programme director of the Israel-France Industrial R&D programme. Before that, he
held many senior positions in the Israel Aircraft Industries, including Deputy Vice
President, Corporate Marketing and Managing Director, BATS, S.A. Angleur Belgium, a
High-Tech Company specialized in Advanced Signal and Image Processing Techniques.

Sharon Zimmerman
Sharon Zimmerman brings with her the vast experience she gained working on EU
projects while working at MATIMOP as the Coordinator of the European Enterprise
Network (EEN) in Israel, as well as the Program Manager for all bilateral activities with
Spain and Portugal. Sharon was a very active member of the Steering and Advisory
Group of the EEN, and worked closely with the EU Executive Agency charged with its
management, including training new European EEN staff members, and presenting at
various conferences and workshops on innovation support and collaboration.