Israel Active

Israel’s BreezoMeter (reported previously) has been integrated into the Weather app on Apple iPhones as part of the new iOS 14.3 update. BreezoMeter’s sensors and data feeds provide real-time, street-level air quality data including air pollution, pollen, and smoke from nearby fires.

Ben Gurion University scientists are growing coral nurseries five times faster than natural coral production. These are then transplanted into the Red Sea and become floating coral islands. BGU is also partnering scientists in the Florida Keys, to grow coral tissue resilient to rising ocean temperatures. (1hr webinar)

40% of all construction approved last year complied with the Israeli Standard for Green Building (No. 5281). In March 2022, the standard will be mandatory for all new construction. It will cut pollution, reduce waste, recycle materials and result in buildings being more energy efficient.

Israel’s Orcam (reported previously) has won a CES 2021 “Best of Innovation” award in the accessibility category by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), for its handheld digital device that reads full pages or screens of text aloud from any printed or digital surface.

Israeli NGO Ayalim Association is building an eco-friendly neighborhood in the Negev city of Dimona. Shahak Heights will rely on sustainable solutions for its water, electricity and sewage. Israeli HomeBiogas systems will supplement gas for cooking. Solar energy will provide most of the power.

Israel’s Bazan Group, an investor in Israeli startup H2Pro (above) is starting a NIS 12 million pilot project to create Israel’s first hydrogen refueling station. Bazan is Israel’s largest producer of hydrogen and set up the Bnnovation cleantech innovation lab (reported previously).

Approval has been given to begin construction of the Ramat Gan Diamond Exchange in a suburb of Tel Aviv. The new tower is set to become Israel’s tallest building at 120 floors and 520 meters, surpassing the Sarona Tower which is 238 meters tall, with 61 floors.

Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck, and Teva are to establish an Innovation Lab at Rehovot Science Park to research digital health and computational biology. The Israeli government has allocated the lab a NIS 32 million budget.

Nothing is 100% perfect, but the “Germs Over” surgical mask made by the Israel Institute of Biological Research (IIBR), together with Hadassah and the start-up Tera Novel, is good enough to protect against Covid-19.  The mask has just been verified and approved by Israel’s Health Ministry.

Instead of using cowboys, whips and barking dogs, Israeli startup BeeFree Agro uses buzzing drones to herd cows. It says it produces a calmer, less stressful environment for cattle. BeeFree have had interest from the UAE who want to use the technology to herd camels.