Israel Active

Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have discovered that buried explosives leak vapors that cause engineered e-coli bacteria to emit fluorescent molecules.  Remote laser scanners detect the glowing molecules, giving explosives experts the exact locations of the deadly devices.

Israel’s Water-Gen has been in the limelight recently. Professor Alan Dershowitz presented the company’s GENius device on stage at the AIPAC conference. Water-Gen has just signed agreements with Vietnam and India.  

Multi-national electronics manufacturer Flex has inaugurated its new Israeli design center in Haifa.  Customers can now take products through from design to mass-production. Israel accounts for 50% of Flex’s global innovation, with seven Israeli sites, employing 4000 Israelis.

I reported previously about Israel’s Arbe Robotics and its radar-based traffic control system for drones. Arbe is now developing 4D imaging technology for autonomous vehicles, based on radar instead of cameras and sensors. Arbe has just raised $2.5 million to fund development.

Tel Aviv, Israel, is among the greenest cities in the world, ranking No. 7 on a prestigious list compiled recently by MIT researchers in collaboration with the World Economic Forum.  260,000 trees cover Tel Aviv’s 52 square km, excluding those in parks. Green initiatives include city-sponsored bicycle and car-sharing services.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple’s offices in Herzliya is the company’s second-largest research and development office in the world.

The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, home to 25,000 registered dogs, is launching a suite of digital functions and information called “Digi-Dog”, for dog owners keen to know where the nearest vet is, or where they can find the best dog-walking beach nearby.

Nine members of the Inno-Negev startup accelerator of Ben Gurion University demonstrated the results of four months of mentoring and support.

I wrote previously that Israel’s Mellanox was providing the power and bandwidth needed by ten Oscar-nominated animations.  One of those - Jungle Book - won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

Here is a new video to accompany my previous reports about Woosh – the Israeli company supplying clean, low-cost, fresh drinking water vending machines in major cities.