Israel Active

Israeli drip irrigation specialists Netafim and Ben Gurion University’s BGN Technologies have signed a 3-year partnership with Bayer AG. The three will develop drip irrigation as a delivery system for Bayer’s pesticide to combat plant-parasitic worms and other crop protection products.

I reported previously on Israel’s Utilis (now Asterra) which detect leaks in water pipes using satellite data and technology developed to detect water on Mars and Venus.  Utilis now works with 120 water companies in 31 countries. (Of course, the BBC video doesn’t mention it’s Israeli.)

Three professors from Israel’s Technion Institute gave lectures to large numbers of non-Jewish UK biology students at London’s Science Museum. Separately, Technion UK CEO Alan Aziz is organizing a trip for 60 students from Imperial College London to Israel in March.

If SpaceIL’s Beresheet spacecraft completes its mission on April 11, Israel will join superpowers US, Russia and China in landing a spacecraft on the moon. Little Israel. With the smallest spacecraft ever to be sent to the moon. But as Israelis know, on tech issues, size doesn’t matter. Live data Website for more info on Beresheet - - TY Jacob Richman)

On Thu 21st Feb at 20:45 EST, I watched the live launch of the rocket carrying Beresheet - Israel SpaceIL’s (and the world’s first) privately-funded moon lander. See video launch at 16:30; Stage 1 separation at T+3mins; booster return at T+9 and Beresheet deployment at T+33 and keep watching.

Israel is to establish an innovation laboratory specializing in environmental protection and sustainability. The government will provide millions of shekels to participating startups. Priority will be given to those with solutions for highly-polluting industries near to population centers.

I reported 3 years ago on Israel’s RideOn and its Augmented Reality goggles. The latest version – the Mohawk - is a full-face helmet. It includes GPS, 4K video, SOS button and ten-megapixel camera and much more. It measures pulse, velocity, distance travelled, altitude, temperature and wind speed,

Israel has now got its own hotline for computer users to call when they think that they have been the victim of a cyber-attack.  The 24/7 free service is the initiative of the national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) based in Beersheba. Dial 119 (911 backwards) and get immediate help.

I reported previously about two Israeli cybersecurity startups ( and ) specializing in the healthcare arena. Israel’s CyberMDX is another – it has begun an 18-month project to implement its protection on all the systems of Michigan Medicine, part of the University of Michigan.

I reported previously on the marine biodiversity benefits of Israel’s ECOncrete. Atarim, Tel Aviv’s coastline developer, has placed ECOncrete’s units at Jaffa port to encourage fauna and flora growth. ECOncrete products are also at Brooklyn Bridge, Rotterdam, Herzliya and Haifa.