Israel Active

Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has inaugurated an innovation center in the Israel-Arab city of Kfar Qasem. It is an extension of Sheba’s own ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate) Innovation Center (see previously), which develops lifesaving and life-improving medical solutions.

Israel’s N-Drip (see previously) has developed a unique zero-energy gravity-powered micro-irrigation system for crops that have a very low profit margin, like corn and potatoes. N-Drip’s Chief Sustainability Officer is Seth Siegel, author of “Let there be Water” (featured previously).

450 students from 90 different countries competed at the 54th International Physics Olympiad in Lithuania. After eight days of contests, lectures, games and projects, all five members of the Israeli high school team won either silver or bronze medals for their theoretical and experimental exams.

Ex-Israeli President Reuven Rivlin seemingly likes the title of President. He is widely reported to be joining Israeli electric road developer Electreon (see previously) - as its President!

Microsoft has acquired Israel’s Peer5, which develops technology for low-bandwidth video streaming, called eCDN. It is understood that its technology will be used in Microsoft Teams, the company’s platform for communication. Peer5’s team will join Microsoft Israel R&D.

Israel’s Wix (see previously) has launched “Branded App by Wix” - a new tool that gives small businesses the ability to build tailor-made mobile apps without any coding. Users can design the icon, layout and content for product pages, bookings, forums, groups, chats, blogs and more.

Yeda, the commercial arm of Israel’s Weizmann Institute is to receive a $40 million investment over 3 years, from US-Israeli company Impact NRS. Yeda will establish Plantae Bioscience, to develop nutritious alternative food sources that have reduced environmental impact and low CO2 emissions.

Israel’s IDE Technologies (see here previously) is to build and operate a seawater desalination plant to provide drinking water to Mumbai – India’s most populous city.

Here is a new video that highlights (in under 2 minutes) some of the innovative ways Israel utilizes its limited water resources and makes the desert bloom. It features recycling, drip irrigation, desalination, river rehabilitation, and extracting water from the air.

Israel’s BIRD Aerosystems has won a contract to install its SPREOS DIRCM anti-missile system on an Airbus 320-type aircraft. The system tracks and jams heat-seeking missiles and is part of a wider defense system that is being installed in partnership with Airbus France.