Israel Active

The 2022 Blavatnik Prizes for Computer Science have been awarded to eight outstanding Israeli doctoral students from the Weizmann Institute, Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University. Sir Leonard Blavatnik said that Israeli computer science increasingly affects everyday lives around the world.

At Israel’s Startup Nation Central, eleven UN ambassadors saw the products of (zero-carbon sustainable farming), Biotic (biodegradable replacement for plastic) and (clean electricity from waves).

Israel’s Watergen is partnering India’s SMV Jaipuria Group to bring Watergen’s “GENius” patented AWG technology to India. SMV will build Watergen’s water-from-air machines locally to help to 30% of Indian districts reporting critical or overexploited groundwater levels.

Africa-based Releaf and Volcani International Partnerships (VIP) US are to address African food security challenges with the assistance of Israeli expertise and innovation. VIP-US Board Member Lord Stuart Polak said he hoped that Israeli innovations would transform agriculture across Africa.

“Music is essentially the connection between math and emotion” says Yoni Bloch, founder of Israeli interactive video startup Eko. This article features musicians who merged their musical and technology skills to enhance their creativity.

Israeli renewable energy company Solegreen, signed a $130 million agreement with Israel’s Tadiran Group (see previously) to buy energy storage systems totaling 600MW hours for its solar energy installation projects. It is the largest ever Israeli energy storage deal.

Several Israeli startups have developed solar panels that float on water (see previously). Here is another – Xfloat. Its Artificial Intelligence controlled panels move and track the sun while floating. They will be installed on the water reservoirs of Mekorot – Israel’s national water company.

Israel’s Mermade Seafoods is cutting the price of lab-grown seafood, such as scallops, by feeding the waste products of the cell culture process to microalgae. The microalgae is then upcycled into the seafood.  But is it kosher?

Israel’s BioBee (see previously) develops natural solutions to agricultural pests. Its latest target is the red spider mite, which destroys strawberry plants. BioBee uses drones to drop millions of Phytoseiulus persimilis, a minuscule spider, whose favorite food is… red spider mites.

Israel and Greece are to strengthen cooperation in science, technology and innovation. It involves partnerships in the European Union’s Horizon Europe research program, and PRIMA (the Partnership for Research and Innovation solutions in the Mediterranean Area).