The R&D center is a regional applied research body operating from the heart of the Western Negev, the largest agricultural region in Israel, under the auspices of Ben Gurion University.

The center was established in 1984 by the Ministry of Science to promote agriculture in Gush Katif, currently located in the territory of the Sdot Negev Regional Council. The center employs researchers and agronomists, and works for the advancement of agriculture, the community, and applied research in the Western Negev and the surrounding area. The team of scientists at the institute research and develop applied solutions in a variety of fields, and work hard on the agricultural technologies of the future.

As of 2020, the center began the process of organizational change and since then has been in the process of growth, increasing activity, and accepting new researchers.