The Technion tightens its ties with industry

01/01/1900

Technion President: 76% of Technion Graduates Find Jobs in the Israeli Hi-tech Industry

Speaking at the Founding of the Forum for Senior Technology Managers and Researchers of the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute at the Technion

The Technion has resolved to tighten its ties with industry, and as part of this decision, it has established the Forum for Senior Technology Managers and Researchers of the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute. Technion President, Prof. Peretz Lavie, said at the founding conference, that 76% of Technion graduates in the past two decades have found jobs in the Israeli high-tech industry, which is responsible for 51% of Israel’s industrial export s. Of these graduates, 25% are CEOs or assistant general managers, 21% fill other senior positions, 10% are team leaders and 12.6% are involved in R&D. 59 out of 129 Israeli companies that are traded on NASDAQ were established or are managed by Technion alumni.

“Today the approach to research is interdisciplinary,” stressed the Technion President. “The Russell Berrie Institute has changed the face of the Technion, both from an individual perspective (by adding outstanding research personnel) and from the physical aspect (by adding advance equipment such as the “Titan”, the most advanced microscope in the world). The bond with industry is important to the Technion, the collaboration with it will advance us all,” added Prof. Lavie.

The head of the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Prof. Yeshayahu Talmon, said that in the first stage $78 million was invested (of which $40 was allocated for infrastructure). In 2010, the second stage began, during which an additional approximately $80 million will be invested over five years.

Ofer Greenberger, vice president of global KLA Tencor, who advises the institute on the issue of tightening relations with industry, said that this bond is fruitful and productive, and that all the leading universities around the world foster such relations. “From here Israel’s next start-up companies will emerge,” he stressed.

Later on Berrie Institute researchers presented their work to the conference participants.

Among the companies represented at the conference by their managers were Given Imaging, Intel, Philips, Elbit Systems, IBM, Dexcel and Rafael.

Above: Technion President, Prof. Peretz Lavie (standing, on the left), welcoming the members of the new forum. On the right (in the first row) – Prof. Yeshayahu Talmon. Photo by: Yossi Shrem, Technion Spokesman.