Israel has long been known as a magnet for high-tech innovation, and a new program by Google Israel, which will foster and support start-ups, should further boost the nation’s profile, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday.

The plan was announced by Yossi Matias, director of Google Israel’s R&D center. The new program, in which Google will serve as a mentor for 20 or so start-ups, goes hand-in-hand with Google Israel’s mission, Matias says. “From the beginning, the goal was to build a research and development center in Israel, and to innovate global products and technology,” he said.

It has not yet been announced if the support will involve funding, but Google did say that the program’s focus will be exposing the start-ups to its trademark culture of innovation and creativity.

According to the Foreign Ministry, “Companies chosen for the project will receive meeting rooms and workspace; Internet access; the opportunity to get information, tools and advice from Google employees; support and advice from other parties (entrepreneurs, technology experts, lawyers, marketing and financial advisers, for instance); and assistance in organizing events for potential investors.”

Google Israel, which was launched in 2007, has two corporate centers -- one in Haifa and one in Tel Aviv. The company, which employs some 250 workers, is responsible for such programs as Google Suggest, Google Trends and Google Insights for Search, all of which have garnered global popularity. The new incubator program is fully supported by Google Israel, but will operate as a separate and independent venture.

“We are here to help the developer community, sharing our know-how and bringing great ideas to the fore,” Matias said.