Solving some of humanity’s greatest problems
Israel’s Technion Institute in Haifa is a science powerhouse and a hub for coexistence as this video demonstrates.
The “go to” place for technology
Israel’s tech ecosystem comprises 539 multinationals from 35 countries. Its 6,600 startups is 14 times the number of startups per capita in Europe. With 0.1% of the world’s population, Israel attracts 19% of global investment in cybersecurity and is the top spender on R&D per GDP.
Google Israel made a crisis into a product
During Haifa’s 2010 Carmel forest fires, Google’s Haifa R&D center used police information to integrate emergency guidelines into Google Search. In 2017, Google’s crisis response product SOS Alerts was born. It has since helped alleviate 250 global natural and man-made disasters.
Rescue robot can now fly
I reported previously that Ben Gurion University engineers had built RSTAR - a highly maneuverable search and rescue robot. Just months later, they have developed it into FSTAR – a robot that can transform from driving on land to flying as a quadcopter.
Growing trees in sidewalks
Israeli startup Frizweed has developed the Treetube - a technological system for growing urban trees safely without damaging the sidewalks (pavements). Lightweight steel and plastic tubes are installed in a tunnel that keeps the tree roots in place and delivers all the nourishment the tree needs.
Brewing the world’s oldest beer
Scientists at three Israeli universities (HUJ, TAU and Bar-Ilan) have brewed a beer using yeast found in the nano-pores of 5000-year-old beer jugs. Microbiologists sequenced the genome which a local brewer then used to make beer - the first time that alcohol has been made from ancient yeast.
AI to fix your washing machine remotely
Israeli startup Veego uses artificial intelligence algorithms to develop products that when installed on gateway devices can automatically detect, analyze, and fix problems in smart home systems. Veego has just received financial backing from the venture arm of the Bosch Group.
AI to assess vehicle damage
Israel’s Ravin uses computer vision and machine learning to detect and analyze vehicle damage. It turns standard CCTV cameras or smartphone cameras into smart inspection tools, detecting more damage than the human eye can spot, thus reducing inspection costs. Shell Ventures has just invested.
Gold in Physics Olympiad
The Israeli team won gold, silver and bronze medals in the Asian Physics Olympiad in Australia. Aviv Tillinger won the Gold medal and 4th absolute place, the highest award given to an Israeli yet in this competition. Israel hosts 80 countries for the International Physics Olympiad in July.
MIT partners seven Israeli academic institutions
US MIT is working with Israel’s Technion, Weizmann, Hebrew U, Ben Gurion Uni, Tel Aviv Uni, Bar Ilan Uni, and Haifa Uni and institutes to to provide up to $30,000 funding for hi-tech projects.