Technion Alumnus Dan Vilenski, a Pioneer of Israel’s Semiconductor Industry, Remembered
Technion alumnus Dan Vilenski died this week. Vilenski earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, served as a member of the Technion’s Board of Governors, and in 2005 was awarded the title of Honorary Fellow by the Technion
Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan paid tribute, saying: “Today the Technion bids farewell to a dear individual and a personal friend, one of the leading figures and pioneers of Israeli industry. He was ahead of his time in fostering the deep ties between academia and industry and was among the leaders of the National Nanotechnology Program and other major national initiatives. His leadership and public service in advancing Haifa-based MADAtech, the National Museum of Science, and in reopening BOSMAT Technical High School and Engineering College, the Haifa school he attended as a youth, made a significant contribution to the scientific and technological education of young people. Through his vision, generosity, and profound commitment, he left a lasting mark on Israeli society and its economy.
Vilenski was among the founders of Applied Materials and served as CEO of the BIRD Foundation (the Israel–U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation). He made significant contributions to the advancement of technological education in Israel and, in 2022, received the Global Industry Leader Award at the ChipEx 2022 conference.
In 2005, the Technion awarded him the title of Honorary Fellow “in acknowledgment of [his] achievements in Israel’s high-tech industries and [his] vital contribution promoting close cooperation between academia and industry; in recognition of [his] participation in the MAGNET Program and the Israeli National Nanotechnology Initiative both of which contribute to Israel and benefit the Technion; in gratitude for [his] dedication to advancing science and educational science projects and promoting entrepreneurship; and in appreciation for [his] abiding commitment to the Technion.”
Vilenski believed that, alongside advancing high-tech industries, it was also essential to cultivate low-tech sectors. Addressing concerns about exits and the Israeli brain drain, he said: “We live in one global village. We cannot stop the process of Israeli companies being acquired by American companies, because this is a free economy.”
At the Technion Alumni Conference in 2014, he told graduates:
“I was fortunate in life, and the companies I founded reached a combined export turnover of approximately $1.4 billion. Investors tend to fear uncertainty in new applications, while inventors and entrepreneurs tend to underestimate that fear, thereby amplifying it. Moreover, inventors often lack an understanding of the potential applications of their developments. Money is not their primary motivation; they are focused on scientific work and do not always make the effort to bring their innovations to market. Every professor here has many former students who are now working in industry. You need to stay in regular contact with them.”
Dan Vilenski will be deeply missed. May his memory be a blessing.
Photo credit: Paul Orlive
