Twenty two years have passed since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
The annual ceremony in Memory of Yitzhak Rabin will take place today, Wednesday, Nov. 1st ,at 12:30 PM in the Shalom Zielony Student Union building cinema.
Yitzhak Rabin wanted to become a water engineer. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Technion in 1990:
“In recognition of his invaluable contribution to the defense of the State of Israel and for his endeavors to strengthen the state of Israel and its image at home and abroad.”
What Do Your Eyes Say? Device Can Diagnose Diseases Based on Eyelid Motion
HAIFA, ISRAEL (October 15, 2017) – Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering have developed a device that can diagnose diseases by means of an eyelid motion monitor (EMM). The project was published recently in Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.
“Eyelid motion provides meaningful information about the health of a patient,”
Already in its developmental stages, the device has won several international awards, and was ranked in the top 20 in the Texas Instruments Innovation Challenge (TIIC) – Europe Design Contest. Over the past two years, the device has been used in clinical trials at Haemek Medical Center in Afula, Israel.
The device was first developed by Technion Prof. Levi Schachter and doctoral student Adi Hanuka, who began working on it as an undergraduate. Hanuka continued working on it during her graduate studies, with the help of a team of students working under her supervision.
“Eyelid motion provides us with meaningful information about the health of a patient,” explained Hanuka. “This motion can indicate not only eye diseases, but also neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, and autoimmune diseases such as Grave’s. We developed a device that can be installed on the standard refraction glasses used in eye tests, at the request of Dr. Daniel Briscoe, Chairman of the Haemek Medical Center Department of Ophthalmology.”
Prof. Levi Schachter
Glasses are fitted with a hardware and software system that monitors and interprets eyelid movements. With approval of the Ethics Committee Regulations for Research Work Involving Human Participants, measurements of approximately 100 subjects have been collected in order to define the eyelid motion patterns (blinking speed and frequency) of a healthy person. Eyelid motions were analyzed using a signal-processing algorithm written by students Tal Berkowitz, Michal Spector, Shir Laufer, and Naama Pearl.
The team first examined blepharospasm dystonia, a disease characterized by involuntary contraction of the muscles responsible for closing the eyes. The researchers found a statistically significant quantitative relationship between a person’s eyelid pattern and the disease, which means that the device could be used to diagnose it. The system was also used to examine the effect of Botox injections, the conventional treatment for the disease, and it was found that within 15 minutes contractions decrease and the blinking pattern begins to match indices that exist among healthy people.
Doctoral student Adi Hanuka
The researchers are also gathering information about other groups, including patients with dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
“Along with designing the product for purposes of commercialization, we are working in several directions: developing the device as a platform for multidisciplinary research on various topics such as the effect of emotions on blinking patterns; eyelid communication amongst the paralyzed; and automatic diagnosis through machine learning and based on a computerized comparison between the specific monitoring and an extensive database,” said Hanuka.
According to the researchers, the device has the potential to diagnose every disease that is expressed neurologically, including many ocular and systemic such as Ptosis, Thyroid eye disease, Parkinson’s disease, Myasthenia Gravis, and neurologic diseases such as third and seventh cranial nerve palsy.
Graph (CORR): Blinking speed as a function of the amplitude of motion. Green – a patient with blepharospasm dystonia blinking at very high speed.
Technion congratulates the 2017 Nobel Laureates in physics: Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss, Professor Emeritus Kip Stephen Thorne, and Prof. Barry Barish, who headed the discovery of gravitational waves in 2015 as part of the LIGO experiment. The prize will be awarded to them “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.”
Four months ago, Technion’s Harvey Prize was awarded to three LIGO researchers: Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss, Professor Emeritus Kip Stephen Thorne, and Professor Emeritus Ronald Drever, who died shortly before the award ceremony. The Harvey Prize in Science and Technology was awarded “for the first direct detection of gravitational waves, confirming a central prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity and opening a new window to the universe.”
According to Prof. Ehud Behar of Technion’s Faculty of Physics, “The LIGO facility and the discovery of gravity waves provide us with unprecedented information on black holes, information that is not available to us in any other way.” The Nobel Prize winners in physics revealed the physical processes occurring in the last moments before the fusion of black holes as well as processes that occur in neutron stars.”
Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss of MIT receives the award from the President of Technion Left to right: Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss, Ian Drever, Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie, and Professor Emeritus Kip Stephen Thorne.
Technion Graduates Who Developed Technology for Analyzing the Preferences of Internet Users Won First Place in the BizTEC Entrepreneurship Program
The program, run by students at Technion’s Bronica Entrepreneurship Center, has accompanied companies that have cumulatively raised more than $300 million over the years.
NowTecc won first place at BizTEC 2017, which was held last week at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The three group members are Technion graduates: Anastasia Logvinenko, a graduate of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering; Tal Yahav, a graduate of the Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management; and Taly Bonder, a doctoral student at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management under the guidance of Prof. Ido Erev.
The three developed a technology that provides real-time insight into network behavior while maintaining the privacy of users. “We offer a deep analysis of users’ preferences at any given moment,” explained Bonder. “The computational algorithm learns the digital body language and visual choices made by users in real time, thus providing economically valuable insights to website owners. The system reports the behavior of users in real time and predicts their behavior, without linking to their personal profile, which protects their privacy.”
“Today, internet advertising works based on segmenting the market, dividing people into groups,” said Logvinenko. “We, on the other hand, present a customer-oriented approach based on individual behavior and predict it based on digital behavior and an artificial intelligence algorithm.”
NowTecc received the first prize – $10,000, donated by David Cohn from Phoenix – from Prof. Boaz Golany, Technion’s Vice President for External Relations and Resource Development. Prof. Golany wished success to all the participants and said, “We need to learn from American academia, whose graduates return to their alma maters and invest in them. Its community of alumni is the most important resource for the future of a university, and therefore it is appropriate that you, who benefited from mentors at the Bronica Center for Entrepreneurship and Technion in general, should help us support other students after you ‘make it big.’”
NowTecc, first place winners – from right to left: Prof. Boaz Golany, Taly Bonder, Tal Yahav, and Anastasia Logi
Three groups placed second and received a prize of $3,300:
Neshima – from right to left: Prof. Boaz Golany, Avital Frenkel, and Yan Ostrovski
Neshima
(‘breath’ in Hebrew) offering an innovative method for the treatment of the pulmonary disease Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Yan Ostrovski developed the new device under the guidance of Prof. Josué Sznitman of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at Technion and is working on the venture with Avital Frenkel. The problem with existing drugs for the disease is that they are produced as a fluid and therefore accumulate at the bottom of the lungs. The new device turns the medicine into foam, resulting in a uniform distribution of the drug in the lungs – an improvement in clinical measures.
Foresee Genomics – Prof. Boaz Golany (right) and Dr Roy Feingersh
Foresee Genomics
An innovative test for the identification of cancer mutations (markers) in a process based on advanced molecular biology and bioinformatic analysis developed by Technion graduate Dr Roi Feingersch. The test allows for a significant reduction in the cost of infrastructure, equipment, and the test itself, as compared to any similar genomic test, and in fact makes it unnecessary to operate a genomic center. The test, designed specifically for laboratories in hospitals and the private sector, is simple and quick and does not require sophisticated and expensive equipment.
Suricatta – from right to left: Yehuda Bronicki, Prof. Boaz Golany, Adi Ezaguy, Leeoz Avni, and Ido Hauzer
Suricatta
A system for fire detection and evaluation of future fire risk. This is accomplished by deploying a smart sensor network that provides live information from the field: the chances of a fire breaking out, instant detection of arson, and monitoring fire progress. The information is transmitted to a control room or smartphone. The team members are Technion graduates Leeoz Avni, Ido Hauzer, and Adi Ezaguy.
BizTEC, a leading technological entrepreneurship program in Israel, was founded in 2004 and is part of Technion’s Bronica Entrepreneurship Center. Its goal is to encourage and promote entrepreneurship among students and graduates of academic institutions in Israel. This is accomplished, with BizTEC’s partners Poalim High-Tech and Pearl Cohen Law Firm, through a program in which the participants benefit from lectures given by key figures in the high-tech industry, workshops, and guidance from mentors from academia, industry, and the venture capital industry. The highlight of this process is Demo Day, which took place at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange this year.
One hundred and twenty teams of students and alumni of academic institutions from all over Israel applied for BizTEC 2017, 12 of which reached the final stage. These groups presented their developments to a panel of judges that included representatives from various organizations including New Generation Technology (NGT); Dov Moran’s venture capital fund, Grove Ventures; Qualcomm Ventures; Poalim High-Tech; and the Perl-Cohen law firm.
The event was attended by the founder of Ormat, Yehuda Bronicki; Technion’s Vice President for External Relations and Resource Development, Prof. Boaz Golany; Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Orit Hazzan; Director of Technion’s business unit, T3, Benny Soffer; and several prominent BizTEC graduates.
Technion’s entrepreneurship leader, Rafi Naveh, said, “During the ‘final judgement’, a week before Demo Day, we asked the teams what they will take away from the process and everyone said: Validation. It is indeed an important lesson, because engineers tend to fall in love with their inventions and force them on every potential client and situation. These teams have understood that in order to succeed they must operate differently – they need to start with the problem space and not with the solution space. Validation means that you do not hypothesize and speculate, but go out into the market and meet the customers and users and listen to them and their needs.”
“The BizTEC entrepreneurship program is a flagship program of the Technion’s Bronica Entrepreneurship Center,” said Executive Director, Dr. Dana Sheffer. “This is one of the first, and definitely the best, program of its kind in Israel. At the Technion we are constantly advancing and developing new initiatives- an example is the excellent Runway program at Cornell Tech, and a $200 million venture fund established this year for companies based on Technion knowledge.”
Technion graduate Ran Korber, environmental engineer and co-founder of BreezoMeter, who won the BizTEC competition four years ago, spoke about the process of establishing the company. “The problem is that air pollution is invisible, and therefore technology is required in order to identify it. As part of the BizTEC entrepreneurial competition, and since then, we have developed BreezoMeter – a big data platform that provides information on local air pollution through an application and without the need for additional hardware. The information comes from a wide range of sources: government and municipal sensors, millions of cars, six satellites, and weather forecasts. Dyson uses our product in order for their air purifiers to operate according to the actual level of pollution. The car company HELLA incorporates our technology in their cars so that the car chooses a less polluted route and closes the windows automatically when there is pollution outdoors.
“In the beginning, we wanted to monitor all environmental hazards – soil pollution, earthquakes, and more – but at BizTEC we learned the importance of validation. We realized the importance of understanding what it is that the market needs and to narrow down our goal; otherwise, we would not get anywhere. Thus, we arrived at air pollution and had to decide on the product and how we would benefit from it. We formulated a vision to help billions improve their health by monitoring accurate air pollution information. In other words, we want to democratize information about air pollution.
“BreezoMeter was officially founded in February 2014, and has grown rapidly since. It is worth noting that we are located in Haifa, with 23 employees, about half of whom are Technion graduates.”
BizTEC 2017 – Group photo of program participants Photos: Assaf Shilo / Israel Sun, Technion Spokesperson Unit
Professor Peretz Lavie, President of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Professor Peretz Lavie, President of Technion
“A once-in-a- generation opportunity, to build a new university in N.Y.C.”, those were the words of Mayor Bloomberg in his invitation to top tier universities. I used these words when I conveyed his magnificent idea to a group of Technion Deans. I asked them to prepare a proposal for a new graduate program in NY, tailor-made to the economic strengths of the city. Between you and me, while I emphasized that this was indeed a once in a life time opportunity, I also encouraged them that
“since we have a very slim chance of winning – be wild, use your imagination to build something original, new, out of the box.” And indeed they did.
Imagine, building a new university from scratch!
Prof. Skorton and now Prof. Polack and myself are eternally grateful to Mayor Bloomberg for giving us this incredible chance to fulfill every university president’s fantasy. This opportunity could not have come at a better time. One of the current most pressing issues facing universities and academic institutes world-wide,
is the search for the best means to adapt to the fourth industrial revolution – the digital revolution – the Machine Age.
Driven by the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and the notion of robotics replacing human labor, our machines are exhibiting abilities they have never had before. Jobs in which productivity can be greatly improved by technology – are already in steep decline. Tasks that are standardized, repetitive, and involve patterns – can now be carried out a million times faster by algorithms. Companies are making more money and hiring fewer people.
But the positions that are irreplaceable by machines, no matter how intelligent, are those that require social intelligence, creativity & perception –
characteristics we aim to cultivate here at Cornell-Tech, alongside excellence in sciences and engineering.
The challenge put forward by Mayor Bloomberg was direct and bold: “Our goal is to make New York City the global capital of technological innovation, I am looking for a university that will help us in doing that.”
Cornell and the Technion stood up to the challenge and came up with a new form of university. A university that is not only tailor made to the economy of NY, but is also designed to meet the challenges of the digital revolution.
Cornell Tech and the JTCI programs are unique. This is a revolutionary model for graduate-level technology education, removing traditional barriers between disciplines. It is rapidly establishing itself as a model academic institution for the second half of the 21st century.
Ladies and gentlemen, the campus we inaugurate today is built for the future. It will generate the next big ideas, new companies and talents that will fulfill mayor Bloomberg’s vision for New York. Our students will become immediate players in the 4th industrial revolution and will join New York’s vibrant economy.
With this magnificent campus, Cornell and the Technion are making a clear statement: practical knowledge, to paraphrase Ezra Cornell, is not inferior nor second rate to basic knowledge – they are the two sides of the same coin. The uniquely designed corporate co-location building will allow us to fuse academia and industry under the same roof. It will foster innovation and world-class research and start-ups for economic growth and for the public good.
To come full circle, I’d like to take one more opportunity to thank you so much, former mayor Michael Bloomberg, on behalf of the Technion and Cornell, for your vision, courage and generosity that have taken this incredible idea and made it into an incredible reality.
And in the words of a one-of-a-kind educator, Janusz Korczak,
“The one who cares for the future, plants wheat.
The one who cares for the years to come, plants trees.
The one who cares for future generations, educates people.”
THE TECHNION-ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CELEBRATES OPENING OF NEW CORNELL TECH CAMPUS ON NEW YORK CITY’S ROOSEVELT ISLAND
The campus will serve as the new home of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, and as a new hub for New York City’s growing innovation and technology sector
NEW YORK, NY (September 13, 2017): Marking a new milestone for the ever-expanding technology and entrepreneurship community in New York City, Cornell Tech today officially dedicated its new campus on Roosevelt Island. The campus will expand the mission and impact of the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute—an academic partnership between Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Cornell University—and directly foster technological innovation in key New York City industries.
“Today’s Cornell Tech campus opening marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute’s ongoing work to foster innovation in New York and beyond,” said Professor Peretz Lavie, President of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, while addressing faculty, local, city and state government officials, diplomats and press attending today’s new campus dedication. “In partnership with Cornell University, we’ve developed a model of graduate-level technology education that is unlike any other – one that’s tailor-made not only for New York City but for the challenges of the digital revolution. Drawing upon Cornell’s incredibly strong presence and network in New York, we’ve cultivated meaningful new ties between academia and industry, and developed an ecosystem that directly fosters innovation, world-class research and entrepreneurship, driving both economic growth and public good. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Technion faculty members and staff who took part in this incredible project and worked tirelessly to make it a success. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done, and we couldn’t be more excited to take this next step.”
The Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute was established in 2013 with a $133 million gift from Joan Klein Jacobs and Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs, founding chairman and CEO emeritus of Qualcomm. Since then, it has become a catalyst for global entrepreneurship and a driver of New York’s emerging tech ecosystem and local economy. The Jacobs Institute draws upon professors, research and resources from both Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, a leading global research university that has been vital in Israel’s emergence as the “Startup Nation,” and Cornell, a longtime leader in engineering and computer science with a strong presence in New York City.
“The ultimate goal of the Jacobs Institute is not only to attract excellent students, but to give them the kind of excellent education that will ensure they are both prepared and excited to address the real-world challenges faced by professionals in their industries,” said Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs. “This new campus directly reflects that vision, and will be invaluable in supporting the Jacobs Institute’s ongoing work to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship for many years to come.”
“New York has long been the financial capital of the world, but the city is also home to a wide variety of other innovation-driven industries that make it particularly fertile territory for starting new companies,” said Ron Brachman, Director of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute. “Drawing upon Technion’s rich history of innovation and its role in establishing Israel as the ‘Startup Nation,’ the Jacobs Institute is well-positioned to drive economic development in New York, particularly in the high-tech sector. In the coming years, new research, innovations and companies coming out of the Jacobs Institute will directly contribute to the thousands of high-quality jobs that are expected to be created in New York, and will help to define the city as a leader within the tech sector of the 21st century.”
The Jacobs Institute’s master’s degree programs—in Connective Media and Health Tech—focus on driving innovation in industries in which New York City has historically excelled, while always remaining anchored in technology. Graduates of these programs receive master’s degrees from both the Technion and Cornell—which, as of 2016, makes Technion the first international university to grant an accredited degree on U.S. soil. The Connective Media graduate program, the first degree of its kind in the world, is centered on computer science and engineering, the human and social impacts of technology, and entrepreneurship. The Health Tech graduate program, meanwhile, focuses on the cutting edge of transforming how healthcare is delivered and experienced, and was designed to develop innovative new products and services that address real healthcare needs.
The Runway Startup Program at the Jacobs Institute supports recent PhDs who are likewise able to draw on the resources New York City has to offer as they build on their research to develop tech companies on campus. Over the past three years, Runway postdocs have founded 16 companies—from a smart baby monitor to an urban planning analytics platform—and collectively raised $19 million in funding.
“As an alumnus of the Technion in Israel and the Jacobs Institute’s Runway Startup Program, I’ve seen just how impactful a true culture of entrepreneurship can be, and I consider my time at the Jacobs Institute to have been instrumental in much of my own success,” said Assaf Glazer, CEO of the aforementioned innovative baby monitor company Nanit, and member of the January 2014 Runway Startup cohort. “As a postdoctoral student in the Runway Startup Program, Jacobs afforded me the resources I needed for my initial research and development, brand architecture, and networking. It quickly became apparent that New York City’s unique concentration of startups and consumer-focused companies would make it the ideal place to launch my business. New York City, Cornell Tech and the Jacobs Institute are true hotbeds of innovation, and I have no doubt that the new campus will extend that innovative spirit even further.”
Today’s dedication ceremony included Cornell University President Martha Pollack; Cornell Tech Dean and Vice Provost Daniel Huttenlocher; Technion President Peretz Lavie; Bob Harrison, Chairman of the Cornell Board of Trustees; former New York City Mayor, and Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies Michael Bloomberg; Israel’s Minister of Science and Technology, Ofir Akunis; Consul General of Israel in New York, Ambassador Dani Dayan; New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio; and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.
MAYOR EMANUEL SIGNS AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CHICAGO’S CURRENT AND ISRAEL’S TECHNION
New Collaboration Will Develop Solutions to Global Water Challenges and Drive Economic Development in Both Chicago and Israel
Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed yesterday an agreement to drive collaboration and research between Chicago’s Current and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Memorandum of Understanding will bring together Chicago academic and research institutions with Israel’s top public research university to develop solutions to global water challenges.
“This agreement helps us write the next chapter in the story of Israel and Chicago,” Mayor Emanuel said. “Working together to develop solutions to water challenges will strengthen economic development and protect public health in both Israel and the U.S. and far beyond.”
“Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel arrived at Technion with an important and significant vision: the establishment of international cooperation as a platform for solving the global water shortage.,” Technion’s Executive Vice President for Research Prof. Wayne D. Kaplan said. “This collaboration brings together leading academic bodies and key organizations in Chicago, including Current, and I have no doubt that we are laying the foundation for a long-term cooperation that will benefit not only the Technion and Chicago, and even not only Israel and the United States, but all of humanity.”
The agreement establishes academic partnerships in areas of fundamental science and applied water research between Technion and Current’s Research Consortium, which is comprised of Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois (Urban/Champaign), the University of Illinois (Chicago), the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the Chicago Department of Water Management.
The partnership will create a broad collaborative research platform between Current and the Technion, linking water research, technology development, commercialization, and deployment in industry and infrastructure.
“This effort brings together world-class scientists to tackle the critical challenge of ensuring that people worldwide have the water they need,” Steve Frenkel, Executive Director of Current said. “Leveraging the global reach of Current’s new research consortium will accelerate the science needed to deliver the water technology innovations society desperately needs.”
The agreement is designed to increase research outcomes that result in deployed solutions and aligned water research efforts between the Technion and Current’s Research Consortium. It will also generate solutions to water challenges with the potential to increase economic development and protect public health in both Israel and the U.S. through developing globally-exportable products.
Current is a joint effort that brings together public and private partners from across the Chicago area, to solve the toughest water challenges facing the nation and the globe. The effort is led by an unprecedented partnership between the City of Chicago, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and World Business Chicago and is designed to leverage the strength of the Chicago region’s water industry to drive critical research forward and generate greater economic impact.
The agreement was signed during Mayor’s Emanuel’s trip to Israel to promote investment and innovation in Chicago. From Sept. 9 to 13 the Mayor is traveling with a delegation composed of academic and business leaders from across the Chicago area.
A key focus of the trip is to highlight Chicago’s leading role in advancing water technology innovation and conservation through Current while show casing new collaborations leveraging Israeli water expertise.
Technion’s Cyber Security Research Center will hold a conference next week on:
“Decentralized Cryptographic Currencies and Blockchains”
Sunday-Thursday, September 10-14, 2017, Churchill Auditorium
The Hiroshi Fujiwara Cyber Security Research Center at Technion will hold a conference next week on one of the hottest technological topics in the world today: “Decentralized Cryptographic Currencies and Blockchains,” which will feature a number of leading experts in the field including:
Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum, an open-source platform based on blockchains. Ethereum skyrocketed by 2,800% in 2017, reaching an all-time high.
Zooko Wilcox, founder of Zcash, a system that maintains user privacy in cryptocurrencies. The project began with a study initiated by Prof. Ben-Sasson of Technion, with the cooperation of colleagues from MIT, Berkeley, Tel Aviv, and John Hopkins universities.
Kathryn Haun, a federal prosecutor from the United States, who has exposed both criminals who used cryptocurrencies to fund crimes worth millions on the “Silk Road” website, and FBI detectives who misappropriated the cryptocurrencies confiscated from the same site.
Peter Van Valkenburg, an attorney and expert on cryptocurrencies who testified on the matter to the US Congress.
Prof. Joseph Bonneau of the University of New York
Prof. Rafael Pass of Cornell University
Prof. Zohar Aviv of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Eli Ben-Sasson of Technion, who developed the scientific-technological platform behind Zcash
The conference organizers are Prof. Eli Biham, head of the Fujiwara Cyber Security Research Center, and Prof. Eli Ben-Sasson, a faculty member at Technion’s Computer Science Department who specializes in the subject.
The conference, to be held at Technion’s Hiroshi Fujiwara Cyber Security Research Center, is part of a series of cybersecurity and computer conferences held by the Center. Cryptocurrencies are an invention of the last few decades. They are designed to replace tangible currency platforms (bills and coins) as well as virtual platforms such as wire transfers. The first cryptocurrency was the Bitcoin.
The conference will also deal with blockchains, the technological concept on which are based cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Zcash; the regulation of virtual currencies; and more.
The conference is intended for students, researchers, and industry professionals, and is already arousing great interest among members of the virtual currency community in Israel.
The Hiroshi Fujiwara Cyber Security Research Center at Technion focuses on cyber security research such as software and hardware protection, operating systems and cloud information protection as well as communication to and from the cloud, protection of IoT (Internet of Things) systems, verification of software and hardware, computer vision, security of autonomous systems, machine learning for security, cryptology and cryptanalysis, security and privacy of medical and aeronautical systems, and many other subjects. The Center is a leader in its field in Israel and manages research grants for researchers, funds graduate and doctoral students, and is a magnet for research in the field.
‘HTK Consortium for Future Mobility Research’ to accelerate developments in autonomous driving, cyber security, and artificial intelligence
Hyundai Motor targets Israel’s best start-ups to create next generation automotive technologies
September 6, 2017 – Hyundai Motor has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) to conduct joint R&D projects around future mobility technologies. The company and the globally renowned institutes will work together with a collective goal to quickly and effectively respond to rapidly changing needs and environments associated with the automotive industry.
The newly-signed agreement will see the company and the universities form the ‘HTK Consortium for Future Mobility Research’, to do research to accelerate developments in advanced future technologies, beginning with autonomous driving, cyber security, and artificial intelligence over the coming years.
Hyundai Motor will also call on Technion’s significant experience and expertise in working with start-ups, with the Israeli tech institute acting as bridge between Hyundai Motor and emerging companies. The HTK Consortium will discover and incubate prospective start-ups in Israel, providing the support and consultation they need to bring their products and technologies to the market.
“By identifying, nurturing and boosting the work of the best start-ups, we plan to accelerate our global leadership in future mobility,” Tae-won Lim, head of Technology Innovation Center at Hyundai Motor said. “Israel is known around the world for the quality of its start-ups, so with Technion and KAIST’s combined expertise, Hyundai Motor will be well placed to lead the development of the next generation of automotive technology.”
“The 4th industrial revolution is fast changing the automotive industry, bringing with it unique opportunities for those who are bold enough to embrace them,” said Technion President, Prof. Peretz Lavie. “The new consortium brings together the best of both worlds: KAIST and Technion’s outstanding track record in research and innovation combined with Hyundai’s remarkable ability to incorporate cutting edge technology into designing and manufacturing ultra-modern, safe and reliable vehicles. I have no doubt this partnership will have a profound positive influence on the vehicles we will be driving in the near future.”
The collaboration was spearheaded by Hyundai Motor’s Strategic Technology Center, which was launched in February 2017. The Center oversees the company’s research in future technology from AI, advanced materials, energy, and robotics, to the next generation of information communication technologies.
Hyundai Motor Group has a track-record of using start-ups in its projects. Last year a startup created a simulation testing environment for a connected car project jointly led by Hyundai Motor and Cisco.
The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, long a key driver of Israeli innovation, and a hub for the ‘Start-up Nation’, is the country’s oldest university established in 1912. It has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading science and technology universities and has recently expanded to New York and China. Its three Nobel Prize winners exemplify academic excellence. Technion people, ideas and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world, in areas including life-saving medicine, sustainable energy, computer science, robotics, water conservation and nanotechnology.
About Hyundai Motor
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars. Hyundai Motor has eight manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centers worldwide and in 2016 sold 4.86 million vehicles globally. With more than 110,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell and IONIQ, the world’s first model with three electrified powertrains in a single body type.
15 students from 6 countries have completed their studies at Technion International
“They say that if you’re the smartest person in the room it’s a sign that you’re not in the right room. Here, I was in the right room with the best and smartest people.” This is how Rebecca Samarelli summed up her four years of study at Technion International. Samarelli said, “The beginning was not easy. The shock on the first day was tremendous, and communication was complex. I thought I’d get excellent grades here, just like I did in high school – and I was wrong, big time. But our class turned into a melting pot very quickly: we studied together, we had fun, we suffered, and we became a family. We learned the meaning of hard work here. We learned that the effort is always worthwhile.”
Samarelli is one of 15 students who recently completed their studies at Technion International and earned a degree in Civil Engineering, focusing on environmental engineering and construction management. Four of them are from Italy, one from France, seven from China, one from India, one from Guatemala, and one from Japan. Two of them will continue to earn graduate degrees at Technion and two will join the labor market in Israel.
Technion International Director Ronit Lis-Hacohen presided over the graduation ceremony. Dean of Graduate Studies, Prof. Orit Hazzan, congratulated the graduates: “Each of you will be able to make a mark on their community: in environmental protection, green energy production, the creation of jobs, housing, and more. In this way, you will continue the Technion tradition of disseminating scientific and engineering knowledge and the message of innovation around the world.”
Prof. Mark Talesnick, founder of the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) branch at Technion, spoke about the challenges facing the global engineering community. “We live in a world where more than a billion people have no access to drinking water and two billion have no access to medical treatment,” said Prof. Talesnick. “You, as the engineers of the future, have learned a lot here – but you have not learned how to work with your hands, how to lead, how to grow a social conscience. It is important for these things to guide you in your future endeavors as well. You can make a difference – go out and do it.”
From left to right, front row: Monong (Rose) Wang – on her way to a graduate degree at Berkeley, JiaHui (Lee) Li – Monash University (Australia), Hanqi (Mike) He – Carnegie Mellon, Eithan Sonnino – Stanford, Roy Yehuda Abdollahi – staying in Israel, Chloe Bouaziz – Columbia, Rebecca Samarelli – Berkeley, Sara Sasson – staying in Israel. Back row: Fengning Liu – Berkeley, Sooraj Kumar – Georgia Tech, Yifei (Fred) Xie – MIT, Gabriel Mishaan – University of Illinois, Masahiro Tomita – Technion, JiaQi (Jackie) Chen – Technion, Zhisen (Frank) Hu – New South West University (Australia).
The Michigan-Israel Partnership for Research and Education Symposium will take place at the Technion from September 5-8, 2017, with the participation of researchers from Technion, the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and the Weizmann Institute of Science
From September 5-8, 2017, Technion’s Rappaport Faculty of Medicine will host the 6th Annual Scientific Symposium for the Michigan-Israel Partnership for Research and Education, titled: “The Future of Health: from Molecules to Machines.”
The Michigan-Israel Partnership was founded on the initiative of the late Dan Kahn, who also provided initial funding. The Partnership supports joint projects of researchers from Technion, the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
The Partnership is headed by Prof. Ofer Binah of Technion’s Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Prof. David J. Pinsky of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and Prof. Avraham A. Levy of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
The festive opening session will take place on Tuesday, September 5 at 13:00 with the participation of Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie. At 14:00, Prof. Peretz Lavie will deliver the keynote lecture, entitled “My Science Heroes.”
Symposium lectures will cover a variety of topics that combine basic, biomedical, and engineering research, such as“Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering”; “Robotics and Nano/Micro-Machines in Biomedicine”; “Clocks, Pumps, and Transporters in Cell Function”; “Microbiome: Microbes in Our Body, Targeted Delivery of Cancer Drugs”;and more.
Doctoral student Tal Gilboa from the Technion receives Clore Fellowship
Tal Gilboa, a doctoral student at the Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, will receive the Clore Fellowship for outstanding scientists in November
In early November, Tal Gilboa, a doctoral student in the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion, will receive the Clore Fellowship for 2017. The $89,000 award includes a three-year fellowship, an allowance for research-related expenses and a personal award. The Clore Fellowships are awarded by the Clore Foundation to outstanding young scientists in order to promote scientific excellence in Israel.
Gilboa, the daughter of Orna and Rony Hitron, was born and raised in Nesher and attended the Nesher Comprehensive High School. She served as a logistics officer in the Nahal Brigade (and as a deputy company commander in the reserves) and began studying at the Technion after a trip around the world. Today she is 32, married with two children.
“I decided to study at the Technion and looked for an interdisciplinary degree,” she says, “and so I came to the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering – a faculty that instills and integrates knowledge in a variety of disciplines: electricity, computers, biology, optics, signal processing, mathematics and of course medicine. In my opinion, this is a fascinating field that uses engineering tools for improving and saving lives.” After earning her undergraduate degree, she continued in the direct PhD track in Prof. Amit Meller’s lab, where she is conducting the study that earned her the Clore Fellowship: the development of a bio-sensor to monitor individual DNA molecules in minute quantities for the purpose of personalized diagnostics. The new technology is based on passing DNA molecules through a nanopore with a diameter of less than 4 nanometers. As part of Gilboa’s research, the lab developed a system that includes optical reading of the DNA molecule as it is passing through nanopore. The characterization method is based on marking specific regions of diagnostic importance in different colors, identifying the color sequence as the DNA moves through the pore and classifying the molecule according to the signal obtained. Cross-referencing the optical and electric data obtained provides unprecedented accuracy in characterizing the molecule. The system built at the Technion enables the characterization of a single molecule but also an accumulation of heterogeneous molecules, thus providing critical diagnostic data such as accurate characterization of various infections and bacterial resistance to antibiotics – the area on which Gilboa is concentrating in her research.
ACS Nano recently published another use of this system: monitoring sub-methylation in the DNA molecule. Disruptions in the methylation process are liable to lead to diseases, including various cancers. Current methods for monitoring methylation levels in DNA molecules have significant limitations which the new detection method has managed to overcome. The study was carried out in collaboration with doctoral student Chen Torfstein of Prof. Meller’s research team and researchers from Germany and Tel Aviv University.
“The Clore Fellowship is given based on one criterion alone- academic excellence,” says Prof. Meller, who has been Gilboa’s advisor since she began her master’s degree and now for her doctorate. “Tal is developing a revolutionary genomic method for identifying antibiotic-resistant bacteria, combining analytic capabilities from the field of signal processing, experimental research in optics and nanomaterials, and work in molecular biology.” In addition to being a diligent and outstanding researcher, which has been reflected in her publications in scientific journals, she has twice been named Outstanding TA in the Computerized Biomedical Design course, which has become a hit, largely thanks to her. She is now the first student at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering to win the Clore Fellowship, and for us this is a very significant event and a source of great pride.”
