NUR (Negev Urban Research) is the first lab of its kind in Israel, launched by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Its aim is to develop data-based and digital processes and tools to help create sustainable and prosperous cities on the edge of a desert.
https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/news-and-articles/nur-negev-urban-research-lab-opens/