Israel Active

The Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) has launched Cyber Elite 2.0, a program that provides cybersecurity training for orthodox and ultra-orthodox computer graduates. It aims to supply Israel’s high-tech and defense industries with newly skilled employees to meet its talent shortage.

Israel’s Innovation Authority (IIA) is investing around NIS 220 million over 3 years in four new technology consortiums. They focus on cultivated meat, insect farming, human-robot interface, and fluid sampling focused medical diagnosis. IIA CEO Dror Bin praised Israeli tech as “magic”.

Four Israeli inventions feature in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions for 2021. They are OrCam’s Read (text to audio), Percepto’s AIM (drone software), SupPlant’s plant irrigation sensors, and ElectReon smart road. All have been featured previously in this newsletter.

Israel’s Doral Energy (see previously) is building what will become the largest solar field in the United States. Indiana’s Mammoth Project will ultimately produce 1.3 gigawatts of electricity – sufficient to power over one hundred and seventy thousand households.

A garbage bin installed next to a bus stop in Jerusalem applauds those who use it. Drop a piece of trash in, and a recording of a child’s voice says, “Thank you very much!”. It’s part of an initiative by local residents to clean up the streets in the Pat neighborhood of the city.  It is silent on Shabbat.  

Israel’s ProFuse Technology won FoodTech 2021 using Israel’s Weizmann Institute’s technology to accelerate the growth of cultured meat cells. ProFuse will receive up to $100,000 for commercial integration with Tnuva, or as an investment, and up to NIS 50,000 for advertising on Calcalist Digital.  

Israel’s Trigo (see previously) is powering the first autonomous checkout-free grocery store. Tesco Express in High Holborn central London has ceiling cameras that customers to take items and walk out without stopping at the checkout. Payments and receipts are settled digitally.

The Israel National Drone Network Initiative (see previously) entered its 3rd phase (of eight) with drones delivering sushi, beer and ice cream orders to the waiting media. The 10-day demonstration tested drone flights above urban areas in Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Ramat Sharon, Herzliya and Hadera.

Israel’s Ministry of Health has confirmed that the air filtration system from Israel’s Aura Smart Air successfully neutralizes nearly 100% of Covid-19 viruses in an enclosed space. Aura will now market the system to Israeli institutions, especially in the health and education sectors.

After four years of operating in secret, the Israeli startup AIR (see previously) has unveiled its AIR ONE electric vertical takeoff and landing self-driving vehicle. The two-seater plane will have a range of 100 miles and a maximum speed of 155 mph. Production target is 2024.