Israel Active

Researchers at Ben Gurion University have discovered that treating recycled wastewater using biofiltration is more efficient for irrigation in arid, sandy soils that are found in deserts. It increases the rate of absorption into the sandy soil, thus reducing surface evaporation.

Deputy ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho, Mauritius and Swaziland Ayellet Black, with two Israeli experts, led a course on drip irrigation and crop management to 19 local trainers in Swaziland. Severe drought almost crippled Swaziland last year.

I reported previously on the perimeter intrusion detection systems of Israel’s Magal Security. Magal has just won a $13 million contract to provide intrusion and cybersecurity systems for an unnamed major international seaport in East Africa.

To increase the level of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) after a series of bad droughts, Mekorot (Israel’s national water company) will pump desalinated water back into the Kinneret from the Eshkol water filtration plant - the fourth largest facility of its kind in the world.

I reported previously on Israel’s Freightos, which is making international freight transport easier and cheaper. Freightos also makes it eco-friendlier by providing a CO2 footprint calculation on every quote. Customers can then choose the route and mode (air, train, ship etc.).

I’ve reported previously on the Augmented Reality (AR) optical engines developed by Israel’s Lumus. Now Taiwan’s Quanta Computer is to manufacture AR headsets with the Lumus technology inside. The product is expected to be on the market by mid-2019.

Most people aren't aware that their credit cards or favorite retailers have price protection policies when products get discounted after purchase. Israeli startup and app Earny tracks the prices of products online and claims refunds for its users when prices of past purchases drop.

The Ashalim thermo-solar power station in Israel’s Negev Desert covers 988 acres with 28,000 tons of steel. With an adjacent thermos-solar plant and 2 nearby photovoltaic plants, they will provide some 300MW of electricity daily into the National Grid – 2.5% of the current total.

“PICO kids” is a program for two thousand children at 31 Jerusalem schools. Mentored by 80-plus university students and local entrepreneurs, they build useful devices, do lab experiments, program computers and use 3D printing and robotics to help (e.g.) the disadvantaged.

The award-winning, Israeli designed and manufactured Nanobébé bottle is said to be the first baby bottle designed to preserve essential nutrients. The bottle works directly with an expressing pump, allows for quick and even cooling and warming, and provides easy and efficient storage.