Israel Active

1.24 million people flew via Ben Gurion airport in October 2013, 6% more than in October 2012. Passenger traffic from Jan to Oct 2013 is 7.5% higher than for the same period last year. The West Hall at Terminal 1 is now open for low-cost flights to Europe under the open skies agreement.

Despite delayed winter rains, Israel’s natural reservoir, the Kinneret, is over 1.65 meters above the lower red line. If Israel receives an average rainfall, its water company plans to open the Degania Dam – the first time since 1992. Israel may also scale back expensive desalinated water production.

Facebook’s Vice President Nicola Mendelsohn told Israel’s President Peres, “It was a momentous decision for Facebook to open its first Research & Development center outside the US. We chose Israel in the knowledge that the best talent is found here.”

Israeli clean tech companies have raised $151 million in the first nine months of 2013. The top deals were: $65 million raised by bio-agritech Kaiima; $25 million raised by energy saving chip developer Altair Semiconductor and $18 million raised by recycling company Blue Sphere.

Israel’s unemployment rate fell to 6.1% in the third quarter, from 6.8% in the second quarter. Participation in the workforce went up, as did the percentage of full-time employees.

Aged 78 Dr. Eli Fischer doesn’t plan to retire any time soon. He is a scientist, successful industrialist, philanthropist and an international brand. “Dr Fischer” has over 500 different products and employs over 750 direct employees. His autobiography has just been published in the US.

Israel’s HelioFocus will build a $340 million 200-megawatt solar boosting system for Chinese energy company Taiqing in Inner Mongolia. It will reduce dramatically the carbon emissions from an existing coal-fired power station.

Entrepreneur/investor Jeff Pulver advised business leaders launching new companies in downtown Haifa. “The biggest cause of failure in fitness, and in start-ups, is giving up. Just because you didn’t get an investment it doesn’t mean you don’t have a good idea. Never give up.”

Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, has won a 4-year project to draw up a water master plan for Azerbaijan and supply monitoring equipment to the Moslem country.

AOL is hiring employees for its Israeli development center. It is seeking developers, content managers, production managers, and support staff. Meanwhile, IKEA is building a new site near Haifa that will employ 300 staff.