Ask Israelis about the local postal service and you’ll likely hear a rapid stream of complaints, particularly about the long lines in post offices and oft-slow package deliveries. But these pet peeves might soon be a thing of the past, as the Israel Postal Company decides to harness the power of Startup Nation.

The postal company is calling on local startups to submit proposals for projects to create advanced solutions in the areas of online trading, financial services, logistics and intelligent transportation and artificial intelligence.

In good news for Israeli post-goers, queue and demand management will also be addressed.

To facilitate this new endeavor, an innovation center is set to open in Tel Aviv in the coming months with an Israel Post investment expected to reach several million shekels.

Israel Post and the selected startups will run pilot programs together, at the end of which the postal company will decide whether to implement the solutions or begin investing in the startup.

“We will help enterprises grow and transform their products into commercially proven products and beta integration with our professionals, allowing them access to local and international business organizations, including government and public organizations,” says Hezi Zaig, Israel Post’s Board of Directors chairman.

“In return, we will be awarded new and unique solutions that will improve the future activity of the mail.”

The innovation center is rare in the world. As of now, only the French, Swiss and German postal services also cooperate with startups in a similar manner that Israel Post is hoping to achieve.

(via Israel21c)

[Photo: David King / Flickr ]