Israel Active

Bar-Ilan University today held a cornerstone-laying ceremony, attended by Dr. Miriam Adelson, to launch Israel’s first Institute for the Synthesis of Smart Materials (see previously). It will integrate artificial intelligence and robotics, with applications from medicine, electronics to energy.

Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute have successfully used electron microscopy to measure “dark points” (vortices) within light waves. By doing so, they were able to confirm a prediction from the 1970s that the speed of these points exceeds the speed of light.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have managed to engineer simple autonomous robots that can learn on their own how to cooperate and perform complex tasks as a group. It will help disaster response, marine and space exploration, construction, and other tasks too dangerous for humans.

Israel’s Rafael Labs has developed engines that steer satellites in the world's most critical orbits; their high efficiency allows them to operate for many more years without failure. Rafael is a preferred supplier for agencies including the European Space Agency and the French space agency.

More on Boeing’s partnership with Israel’s Technion to create SAF (sustainable aviation fuel - see previously). Dr. Brendan Nelson, president of Boeing Global, said “If there is one country in the world capable of solving civil aviation’s emissions challenge, it is Israel.”

Prof Erez Hasman of Israel’s Technion Institute, together with his ex-student Prof Bo Wang and his team in China, have discovered that photons of light, when scattered by the random Brownian motion of nanoparticles in a liquid, get locked into an ordered spin. They can then measure the nanoparticles.   (See cover of Nature Materials Feb 2026)

Israeli-founded Voltify is developing a comprehensive solution that enables railway companies to transition from diesel to electric power without requiring massive infrastructure investments. Its platform combines battery-powered locomotives, dynamic fast-charging technology, and a network of microgrids designed to supply energy to trains.

Israel’s Conntour is developing an artificial intelligence platform for real-time video intelligence analysis. Users could (for example) search for “a man with a tattoo on his left arm” or “a van with a print of fruits on it.”

Israel’s Elbit has won a $120 million contract to develop a real-time intelligence system for the US Army. The Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC) system connects soldiers with sensors, positioning data and shared battlefield intelligence through head-mounted technology.

The German navy has taken delivery of an autonomous Israeli-made “BlueWhale” underwater drone, for reconnaissance and detecting “hybrid threats at sea.” Developed by Israel’s IAI with Germany’s TKMS, it is the navy’s “largest and most advanced unmanned underwater vehicle to date.”