Israel Active

Traditional dyes are made of coal tar and petroleum in polluting processes. Israel’s Algaeing, however, creates fully bio-degradable formulations for dyeing, using algae, that produce zero waste. Combined with cellulose, or plant fibers, the formulation can create algae-based textiles.

Holon Institute of Technology has formally inaugurated 428 new modern student dormitories for some 472 students. Built by Israel’s Shikun and Binui for some NIS 200 million, they include apartments for people with disabilities, singles, couples and up to three roommates.

Israel’s WEKA.io has developed a low-energy, high performance data platform for artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI/ML). WEKA is used by companies in Life Science, Finance, Media & Entertainment, autonomous vehicles, and more. It just raised another $135 million in funds.

Israel’s Technion Institute Prof. Eilam Yalon was selected as one of Intel’s 2022 Rising Star Faculty Award (RSA) winners. The award, given to early-career academic researchers who lead ground-breaking technology research, was for his work on nano-scaling electronic devices.

Ben Gurion University Prof Benyamin Rosental has won a Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2022 Award. He has applied his research into stem cell transplantation to that of coral reefs to allow them to resist changes in temperature. He also has a personal “falling wall” link.

A piece of Israeli art can only be assembled in space. It involves water attaching to a metal structure in weightless conditions. This video shows what happened when Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe initiated the assembly process on the Axio-1 mission on the International Space Station.

NASA’s Artemis-1 mission to the Moon finally took off from Cape Canaveral, carrying a manakin named Zohar, wearing AstroRad radiation protection vests made by Israel’s StemRad (see previously). Zohar even had her very own Israeli passport. Sensors will measure cosmic radiation.

MUNIEXPO - the Local Government Exhibition for Innovation (Dec 6 – 8) in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is one of the largest gatherings for local governments in the region. The 12,000 visitors, including global municipal leaders, will see 130+ Israel startups present cutting-edge and smart city solutions.

PropTech Tel Aviv last week included Israel’s Reichman University, which accepts up to 40 students (from 400 applicants) onto its PropTech Program. The University’s practical course prepares students for the challenges of the real estate world and its technological solutions.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has joined with Meta AI to create a first-of-its-kind Artificial Intelligence PhD program to drive cutting-edge research. Meta will provide mentors and scholarships and students will have access to Meta’s computational infrastructure and facilities.