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Professor Avner Rothschild’s research group at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology developed a new green technology for producing hydrogen

Professor Avner Rothschild

From right to left: Dr. Anna Breytus, Matan Sananis, Dr. Yelena Davidova and Ilya Slobodkin

A group of researchers from the Technion Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering is presenting a new technology for producing green hydrogen using renewable energy. Their breakthrough was recently published in Nature Materials. The novel technology embodies significant advantages compared to other processes for producing green hydrogen, and its development into a commercial technology is likely to reduce the costs and accelerate the use of green hydrogen as a clean, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

Using hydrogen as a fuel instead of coal, gasoline, and “natural” gas will reduce the use of these fuels and greenhouse gas emissions from various sources, including transportation, the production of materials and chemicals, and industrial heating. Unlike these fuels, which emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when they combust in the air, using hydrogen produces water and is therefore considered a clean fuel.

However, the most common way to produce hydrogen involves using natural gas (or coal) and the process emits large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – thereby canceling out its advantages as a green, sustainable alternative for fossil fuels. In 2022, global consumption of hydrogen stood at approximately 95 million tons – a quantity suitable for improving various fuel products, and especially to produce ammonia, which is needed for manufacturing agricultural fertilizers. Nearly all of the hydrogen that is consumed today is produced from fossil fuels, which is why it is called “gray hydrogen” (made from methane) or “black hydrogen” (made from coal). Hydrogen production using these methods is responsible for around 2.5% of the annual global carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere as a result of human actions. Replacing gray hydrogen with green hydrogen is necessary in order to reduce this significant source of emissions and replace polluting fossil fuels with clean, sustainable hydrogen.

Various estimates predict that green hydrogen is likely to account for around 10% of the global energy market at net zero emissions – the current target for mitigating climate change and global warming as a result of the greenhouse effect due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. That is the reason for the enormous importance of green hydrogen in combatting global warming.

Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis – electrochemical decomposition of water into oxygen and hydrogen using energy from renewable sources such as wind and sun. Electrolysis was discovered more than 200 years ago, and since then it has undergone many developments and improvements. However, it is still too expensive for producing green hydrogen at a competitive price. One of the technological challenges that limit the use of electrolysis for producing large amounts of green hydrogen – amounts that would help achieve plans to attain net zero carbon emissions – is the need for expensive membranes, gaskets and sealing components to separate the cathodic and anodic compartments.

Several years ago, Technion researchers presented an innovative and efficient electrolysis technique that doesn’t require a membrane and sealing to separate the two parts of the cell, since the hydrogen and the oxygen are produced at different stages of the process, unlike in regular electrolysis where they are created simultaneously. This novel process, called E-TAC, was developed by Dr. Hen Dotan and Dr. Avigail Landman under the supervision of Prof. Avner Rothschild and Prof. Gideon Grader. They partnered with the entrepreneur Talmon Marco to fulfill the process’s potential and develop commercial applications.

Details of the new technology

The researchers from Prof. Rothschild’s group at the Technion are now presenting a new process whereby hydrogen and oxygen are produced simultaneously in two separate cells, unlike the E-TAC process where they are produced in the same cell but at different stages. The new process was developed by Ilia Slobodkin as part of his master’s thesis, with the help of Senior Researcher Dr. Elena Davydova and Dr. Anna Breytus and master’s student Matan Sananis.

This novel process bypasses operational challenges and limitations of the solid electrode where the oxygen is produced in the E-TAC technique by replacing it with NaBr aqueous electrolyte in water. This replacement paves the way for a continuous process (as opposed to a batch process with E-TAC) and repeals the need to swing cold and hot electrolytes alternately through the cell. The bromide anions in the electrolyte are oxidized to bromate while producing hydrogen in a cathode, and they then flow with the aqueous electrolyte to a different cell, where they are turned back into their original state while at the same time producing oxygen, and this process keeps repeating itself. In this way, hydrogen and oxygen are produced at the same time in two separate cells in a continuous process without any temperature changes, unlike with E-TAC. Moreover, the oxygen is produced in the aqueous electrolyte and not in the solid electrode as in E-TAC, and it is therefore not dependent on the rate and capacity limitations typical of those types of electrodes, such as chargeable batteries.

In the article published in Nature Materials, the researchers describe their basic experiments which prove the preliminary feasibility of the proposed process, and present results that demonstrate its high efficiency and ability to work at high electric current, meaning that hydrogen can be produced at a high rate. At the same time, there is still a long way ahead for developing a new technology based on the scientific breakthrough depicted in the article. Such a technology is likely to get past the many obstacles on the way to industrial production of green hydrogen as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

Prof. Rothschild is a member of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program, the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Sustainability Center for Catalysis, and the National Research Institute for Energy Storage. The research was supported by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and JNF-KKL’s Climate Solution Prize.

Click here for the paper in Nature Materials

Click here for photos

Captions:

(L-R) Ilia Slobodkin, Dr. Elena Davydova, Matan Sananis and Dr. Anna Breytus
Avner Rothschild

Credit: Rami Shelush, Technion Spokesperson’s office

For more information: Doron Shaham, Technion spokesperson – 050-3109088

The Technion opens the new academic year with unprecedented support systems for reservists and for all students.

President of the Technion: “Opening the academic year is our response to attempts to undermine our lives.” More than 15,000 students will study at the Technion this year. The academic year was delayed out of consideration for students serving in the reserves.

The Technion will kick off the new academic year on Sunday, January 14, 2024, with 2,070 new undergraduate students, 48% of whom are women, and 1,029 new students pursuing advanced degrees, 40% of whom are women. The overall student body will total 15,000 students this year, including 10,745 undergraduate students, around 3,000 graduate students and 1,400 doctoral students. The youngest are not yet 18 years old, and the oldest is 76.

As in past years, the Faculties with the largest number of new undergraduate students are those relevant to high-tech professions: the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Taub Faculty of Computer Science, and the Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences. The Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering is also one of the large Faculties for which there is high demand.

This year, there are more scholarships for research students pursuing advanced degrees, and the number of international students continues to grow steadily. Despite concerns about the difficult security situation in Israel, students from 11 different countries are beginning their studies at the Technion. They come from England, Argentina, the U.S., Ethiopia, India, China, Mexico, the Philippines, Canada, Russia, and Turkey. Eighty advanced-degree students will begin studying at the Jacobs Technion–Cornell Institute in New York and 17 new students will begin studying at the Guangdong Technion–Israel Institute of Technology in China.

“Together with the entire country, the Technion suffered a terrible and painful blow,” said Prof. Uri Sivan, president of the Technion. “Dozens of our community’s family members were murdered on October 7^th and others were taken hostage. Many were wounded or killed in battle, and we are distraught and deeply pained.” The President explained that “we are opening the academic year because that has always been and remains our response to every attempt to disrupt our lives. We will continue to educate our students with the values that guided us during the last 100 turbulent years: tolerance, inclusion, and a commitment to truth and justice. We will continue to support the security and economy of the State of Israel, and no less importantly, we will continue to be committed to Israeli society out of a deep social responsibility towards all its citizens. The Technion has a long tradition of coexistence among all the communities on campus and we are determined to preserve this way of life. We are facing significant challenges, but based on my familiarity with the strength and resilience of the Technion family, I have no doubt that we will successfully overcome these challenges.”

Technion Senior Executive Vice President Prof. Oded Rabinovitch said, “We have been waiting a long time for students to return to the campus, and the opening of the new academic year is an opportunity for all of us to step up and do whatever we can to help the students adjust. This is a chance for us to pitch in to help those returning from the reserves, as well as those who will continue to serve during the semester and, indeed, all the Technion’s students. We foresee that there will be students who will continue to serve in the reserves after classes begin, and we will support them and make sure that they successfully complete their studies.”

The “Back on Track” program, which the Technion ran for the first time because of the war and its effects, took place during the last two weeks under the leadership of the Dean of Students Office and the Technion Students Association. The program included stress-relieving, recreational workshops and activities prior to returning to the classroom. This unique initiative helped students, especially those who served in the reserves, return to their studies as smoothly as possible, to take a break from the pressure and catch up.

Dean of Students Prof. Ayelet Fishman said, “We are proud of our reservists, and this pride is expressed through an array of steps that we are taking on their behalf. Our students who serve in the reserves do not only deserve our appreciation; they also deserve extensive help upon returning to their studies. Therefore, we have announced a series of academic adjustments and accommodations designed to help them, as well as a significant NIS 6,000 grant to be applied towards payments connected to their studies. These students will be exempt from paying rent on their campus dorm rooms, and they will receive emotional support as well as exemptions from certain exams from last year, among other steps. Like the rest of the country, the relationship between Jews and Arabs has been shaken by the war. As a result, we invested considerable resources to prepare for the students’ return to campus and the rehabilitation of our lives together. We have trained members of our faculty to teach mixed classes, and we have provided preparatory workshops for the dorm staff, as well as joint discussion groups and training for our student mentors – older students who serve as ‘big brothers and sisters’ to new students. We also established a Resilience Center and a telephone hotline to provide emotional and psychological help in Hebrew and Arabic. The entire student support and guidance team, which is part of the broad support network offered by the Office of the Dean of Students, received special training in preliminary therapeutic skills for helping trauma victims, and will operate according to the ‘trauma-aware campus’ model by adapting learning processes and helping ensure academic success.”

January 3, 2024

Dear Technion Family,

The academic year 5784 will commence soon and it will be a different and sorrowful year. The three months that have passed since October 7 have been painful and challenging for the State of Israel and the Technion family. Dozens of our friends’ family members were murdered, and others were abducted. Many have been injured or killed in the war, and our hearts are filled with pain and worry.

Approximately 2,500 students, faculty members, and administrative staff were called up for reserve duty, and many of them are still serving. In the spirit of Technion tradition, we postponed the opening of the academic year to await their return. As the expected release is delayed, we responded to the IDF’s request and delayed the opening of the year to January 14, 2024.

The upcoming academic year marks a historic milestone for us. Exactly one hundred years have passed since the Technion opened its doors in the historical building in Hadar HaCarmel with 16 male students and one female student. Who could have then foreseen that from that humble beginning would grow a top-tier research university, graduating one hundred thousand alumni, who have shouldered the security and prosperity of the State of Israel? Who could have imagined that our researchers would be awarded Nobel Prizes, and our influence on humanity would be so significant?

We did it all in our humble and persistent way, year after year. This has been our response to all the events, wars, and acts of terror that have afflicted us before the founding of the State and afterwards. This will also be our response to the appalling terrorist acts of Hamas, intended to undermine our determination, sow fear, create conflict within Israeli society, and drag us into the moral abyss in which they operate.

Nobody can divert us from our path. We will conquer the anger and the pain and immerse ourselves in achieving our goals with the spirit of our constitution: ‘To disseminate knowledge through education and promote knowledge through pure and applied research.’ We will continue to educate for the values that have guided us through the past tumultuous one hundred years: tolerance, inclusivity, the pursuit of truth and justice, and deep social responsibility towards all people. We will continue to support the security and economy of the State of Israel, and just as importantly, we will continue to embrace the entire Israeli society.

If we needed proof of our solidarity as a committed community, we received it in the last few months in the inspiring voluntary efforts of the Technion community. Alongside the enlistment of thousands in the reserves, the student union, academic and administrative staff rallied for a vast array of activities to support those whose lives were put on hold. We hosted hundreds of families who were evacuated from the south and north on campus, supported thousands of our own recruits, and addressed the diverse needs of the security forces.

This is the finest hour of the Technion family, and now we must channel these tremendous forces also to confront the additional challenges ahead of us. We must return to the routine of studies and research as in every year, and at the same time continue to support those among us whose lives have changed forever. We all must strive to heal the rifts in Israeli society, and we must continue to assist the thousands of women and men among us who left everything behind and enlisted to defend the country. We face enormous challenges, but from my acquaintance with this remarkable institution, its resilience, and the solidarity of the Technion family, I have no doubt that we will succeed.

Finally, I would like to remind you all, that my door and the doors of the entire administration are always open, especially during these challenging times. Please, do not hesitate to reach out with any problem or suggestion.

Wishing you all success and a fruitful academic year!

Prof. Uri Sivan

President

ACCESS PDF HERE:

Letter to Technion Family 3.1.24

Dental implants, made of titanium or titanium alloys, are widely used to provide a durable solution to missing teeth and restore functionality.

Unfortunately, after a variable number of months, about 30% of the patients may experience peri-implantitis, a disease that manifests itself by jawbone regression around the implant and gradual exposure of the implant’s threads. As of today, there is no clinical solution to delay or stop the progression of the disease that may ultimately lead to implant’s extraction.

Moreover, the reasons for the development of peri-implantitis are not well understood and various factors have been invoked when the studies focused only on the inflamed tissue.

A recent work, published in the prestigious Advanced Surface Science Advances by A.E. Shavit (M.Sc.), co supervised by Dr. K. Shemtov Yona (Mech. Eng. Technion and TAU School of Dentistry) and Prof. D. Rittel (Mech. Eng. Technion), takes a radically different approach at the problem by examining retrieved implants’ surface at the nano scale, instead of the surrounding tissue.

This breakthrough study reveals for the first time that the native protective titanium oxide layer gets severely damaged with time, rendering the implant more prone to biodegradation. In other words, the implant that is traditionally considered as biocompatible, loses this property, and becomes a bio-reject.

While centered on dental implants, the study has more general implications to the field of metallic medical implants, with the hope that if the surface layer of implants can be made more resistant to their environment, part of the pathology may be solved.

Link to the article: https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S2666-5239(23)00187-3

January 2, 2024

To the Members of the Governing Boards

Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Pennsylvania

Dear Members of the Governing Board:

We are deeply concerned by the restrained reactions of the leaders of your institutions to
overtly antisemitic activities on your campuses. We were dismayed by the Congressional
testimonies of Presidents Gay, Kornbluth, and Magill, who refused to condemn calls for
genocide unconditionally.

Freedom of expression is unacceptable when it supports hate, genocide, rape,
mutilation, and kidnapping—as in the premeditated, unprovoked, unprecedented,
barbaric, and perverse terror attack by Hamas against citizens, children, and women in
Israel on October 7, 2023. This attack was part of a proclaimed effort by Hamas in
Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran to annihilate Israel, which they deny the right to
exist, despite the fact that the State of Israel has continued to pursue peace with its
neighbors. For them, there are 56 Islamic states, but a single Jewish state is one too
many.

Expressing support for the deadliest attack against Jewish people since the Holocaust
is despicable and abhorrent. University leaders should condemn any expression of
support for such actions. Calls for murder should be deemed unacceptable and
penalized without any qualifications. Incitement to violence or hate speech based on
race, ethnicity, or religion is wrong, irrespective of “context.” Allowing these
provocations at your institutions is a moral failure that violates your codes of conduct,
may expose you to legal action, and significantly threatens academic performance.
Tolerating vehement demonstrations at your campuses in support of the worst crimes
against humanity undermines the fundamental purpose of your institutions of education
and research. Tolerating support for violence contravenes a critical element in a climate
necessary for learning and exploring: psychological safety [1, 2].

This concept, studied by prominent scholars—some from your own institutions [2-4] is becoming increasingly recognized as a key factor for individual and team growth in many settings, including in
education organizations [1, 5, 6].

A sense of security is critical for academic performance, respectful debate, and trustful
collaboration—nurturing research and scientific progress. Fear in the workplace [2] adversely impacts performance. An eminent scholar in quality improvement, Edwards
Deming, once advised, “Drive out fear of the organization so that everyone may work
effectively for the company.” Sooner or later, allowing fear on your campuses will
significantly compromise your academic excellence.

History teaches us that allowing antisemitism to grow can have severe consequences
for academic institutions. This was the case in 1938 at a prestigious medical school in
Vienna, from which it has yet to fully recover [7] (as discussed in an accompanying
editorial [8]).

“These events left the faculty, once home to numerous Nobel Laureates,
depleted of outstanding researchers and teachers—a situation that persisted for years
after the war.” If Jewish students and faculty feel unsafe at your campuses and opt to
leave, just as any other talented minority or individual would if they perceived threats to
themselves, your institutions will suffer a loss. Allowing hate to flourish gives rise to
profound apprehensions about the future caliber of your universities.

According to a recent Harvard-Harris poll, 51% of Americans aged 18 to 24 support
solving the Israel-Palestinian conflict by ending the Jewish state and handing it over to
Hamas. Interestingly, only 4% of Americans aged 65+ thought so, possibly because
they were raised on a Holocaust perspective of the right for Israel to exist, not on
biased, misleading messages in social media. Higher education has an important
mission to correct blatant ignorance of the past.

Besides unequivocal condemnation and disciplinary action in response to antisemitic
provocations, we suggest organizing educational activities, seminars, invited lectures,
courses, and workshops about psychological safety and listening to the Other across all
departments and facilities [9-12], as well as discussing the moral lessons of the
Holocaust [13-16].

The evidence is that listening reduces extremism, develops humility,
and promotes psychological safety [9-12]. A central message from the history of the
Holocaust to teach in higher education is to prevent crimes against humanity and
genocide, with the hope of one day achieving a world free of terrorism, antisemitism,
racism, and all forms of discrimination [13-16].

Leading universities, such as yours, should set an example by disseminating these
important messages.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

This letter is signed by Nobel laureates whose names appear below.

Professor Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2004

Professor Avram Hershko, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2004

Professor Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2002

Professor Roger D. Kornberg, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2006

Professor Michael Levitt, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2012

Professor Dan Shechtman, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2011

Professor Ada Yonat, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2009

References
1. Edmondson AC, Higgins M, Singer S and Weiner J. Understanding psychological safety in
health care and education organizations: a comparative perspective. Research in Human Development.
2016; 13: 65-83.

2. Edmondson AC and Lei Z. Psychological safety: The history, renaissance, and future of an
interpersonal construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior.
2014; 1: 23-43. [Harvard]

3. Schein EH. Kurt Lewin’s change theory in the field and in the classroom: Notes toward a model
of managed learning. Systems Practice. 1996; 9: 27-47. [MIT]

4. Schulte M, Cohen NA and Klein KJ. The coevolution of network ties and perceptions of team
psychological safety. Organization Science. 2012; 23: 564-81. [Wharton, U Penn]

5. Lateef F. Maximizing learning and creativity: understanding psychological safety in simulation-based learning. Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock. 2020; 13: 5.

6. Mustafa MB, Rani NHM, Bistaman MN, et al. The relationship between psychological well-being
and university students academic achievement. The International Journal of Academic Research in
Business and Social Sciences. 2020; 10.

7. Ernst E. A leading medical school seriously damaged: Vienna 1938. Annals of Internal Medicine.
1995; 122: 789-92.

8. Lerner BH and Rothman DJ. Medicine and the Holocaust: learning more of the lessons. Annals
of Internal Medicine. 1995; 122: 793-4.

9. Itzchakov G, Kluger AN and Castro DR. I am aware of my inconsistencies but can tolerate them:
The effect of high quality listening on speakers’ attitude ambivalence. Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin. 2017; 43: 105-20.

10. Itzchakov G, Weinstein N, Leary M, Saluk D and Amar M. Listening to understand: The role of
high-quality listening on speakers’ attitude depolarization during disagreements. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology. 2023.

11. Kluger AN and Itzchakov G. The power of listening at work. Annual Review of Organizational
Psychology and Organizational Behavior. 2022; 9: 121-46.

12. Lehmann M, Kluger AN and Van Tongeren DR. Am I arrogant? Listen to me and we will both
become more humble. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2023; 18: 350-62.

13. Chelouche T, Czech H, Fox MA, et al. Statement on the Lancet Commission on Medicine,
Nazism, and the Holocaust. The Lancet. 2023; 402: 1816-7.

14. Czech H, Hildebrandt S, Reis SP, et al. The Lancet Commission on medicine, Nazism, and the
Holocaust: historical evidence, implications for today, teaching for tomorrow. The Lancet. 2023; 402:
1867-940.

15. Horton R. Offline: Universal lessons for humanity. The Lancet. 2023; 402: 1818.

16. Levany S, Arsyaf MA, Roma CB, et al. Why health-care learners and professionals should want
to learn about medicine, Nazism, and the Holocaust. The Lancet. 2023; 402: 1814-6.

ACCESS THE PDF OF THE LETTER HERE:

Nobel Laureates Write To Members of Governing Boards.

The Center for the Acquisition of Clinical Skills at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion has been holding trauma courses since the beginning of the war that train the participants in life-saving skills

Since the beginning of the war, the Center for the Acquisition of Clinical Skills at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine has been holding a course for treating the wounded (trauma) for a number of officials at the Technion and outside.

According to the director of the center, Ira Baskin, it all started with the initiative of medical students in the faculty (sixth year) who wanted to improve their skills in providing care to trauma victims. According to her, “The students were looking for a place for professional practice and for this purpose they recruited paramedics, most of whom are also students at the faculty. The initiative really moved me and of course, I made the center available to them.”

The Center for the Acquisition of Clinical Skills at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine is a simulation center that enables the practice of professional-technical skills (hands-on), as well as soft skills such as communication and teamwork. The center is under construction and is not fully equipped yet. For the purpose of the practice, the course was quickly organized with partial equipment already at the faculty, as well as equipment brought by the students and equipment borrowed from the Rambam Medical Center. Rambam doctors also got involved and gave lectures to the participants before the exercises.

About 50 students came to the first course, some of them in uniform on their way to reserve service. Since then, many inquiries have also come from parties outside the Technion who want to conduct similar courses at the center in view of the situation. “Unfortunately, only in such difficult times, such as a war or an epidemic, does the awareness of the importance of simulation and life-saving practice arise. This is exactly the purpose for which our center was established, to equip the students in the faculty, as well as professionals and experts, with the tools to provide professional and safe medical care.

This is an impressive center in terms of its dimensions and potential. It can provide practice and training of clinical skills to hundreds of trainees a day. I hope that in the near future, we will be able to purchase the missing equipment and provide practical training and simulations at the highest professional level to our students as well as to the health professionals in the region and the general public, certainly in times of emergency.”

The Technion and the Robophysics Excellence Program were harnessed for students from the north and south, evacuated from their homes. Since the beginning of the war, 120 students have participated in the program

120 high school students from communities in the Gaza Envelope and from the north who were forced to evacuate their homes completed the “Robophysics” program of the Atidim association in the last couple of months at the Technion. The students were divided into four one-week cohorts, and additional cohorts with new students will be held in the coming weeks.

The program held at the Technion was adapted to the current reality and is attended by 11th-12th grade students who were evacuated from their homes. They spend a week at the Technion studying at an academic level and social and enrichment activities with full hospitality on campus.

The “Robophysics” program was founded about a decade ago by the entrepreneur Ofer Danino, a graduate with two degrees from the Technion (electrical and computer engineering, science and technology education), and is held under the auspices of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Following the outbreak of the “Iron Swords” War, the management of the program decided to make it accessible in a targeted manner to students who had to evacuate their homes.

The “Atidim” association, which works to exploit the potential of human capital in the geographical and social periphery, was roped in to lead the project. The President of the Technion, Prof. Uri Sivan, thanked the organizers and said that it was a “goal that is very important”. I have no doubt that you brightened the days of the boys and girls of the youth from the Gaza Envelope and the northern border, and I am sure that the week you are giving them will be etched in their hearts and will influence their path now and in the future. Well done!”

Prof. Idit Keidar, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Viterbi , told the students: “These are not the ideal circumstances for learning, and it is difficult for all of us to concentrate, but I hope that the program will provide you with an opportunity to disconnect a little from the news and acquire significant knowledge in an experiential and enriching way. This program gives the graduates an academic merit point, and we will of course be happy if, following this taste, you decide to continue studying with us at the faculty.”

The program includes full accommodation at the Technion, 45 hours of study through classes and practical workshops and various enrichment activities. The program entitles the participants (with a score exceeding 85) with a valid academic credit point for further studies at the faculty and with a score of 45%, of the matriculation grade in physics. After a week at the Technion, the participants receive extended personal guidance and a subsidy for a psychometric course until matriculation and enlistment in the IDF. In this special format, the program takes place at t:hub, the entrepreneurship and innovation center at the Technion, for six days for each cohort of students.

According to Meital Shaked, director of the ‘Future Youth’ programs : “The Atidim association and the Technion together built an emergency plan in four days. The program touches on an immediate need that exists in the field and in front of a population that the Atidim association has been working with for over 20 years. The overarching goal of the emergency program is to exhaust the potential of the outstanding students from the evacuated communities despite the great crisis and the difficult situation we are all in, facing the task of graduation and being drafted into the IDF. The Technion has opened its heart and campus to allow the participants of the program to enjoy all the goodness and quality that the leading institution the Technion has to offer. We are very grateful and appreciate this partnership. I have no doubt that this is a collaboration that will continue in the future.”

A delegation of senior officials from the Ministry of Economy and Industry led by the director general of the ministry visited the Technion

Last week, a delegation of senior officials from the Ministry of Economy and Industry, headed by the Director General of the ministry, Adv. Amnon Merhav, visited the Technion. The meeting was intended to strengthen the relationship between the Technion and Israeli industry, and both parties agreed that the Technion’s management fully understands the importance of this relationship, and that the industry understands the magnitude of the potential inherent in joining forces with the Technion. “The Ministry of Economy promotes joint initiatives with the business sector, academia and the public sector, ” said Adv . Our goal is to integrate into the 2024 budget a significant growth plan for the economy.”

Senior officials from the Ministry of Economy and the Technion

The visit began with a meeting at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering with the Vice President for Innovation and Industrial Relations, Prof. Lihi Zelnik-Manor and members of the faculty, including the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Sima Yaron. The delegation then visited the PTC headquarters at the Technion and the National Institute for Construction Research.

At the conclusion of the visit, the Vice President for Research, Prof. Noam Adir joined and heard from the members of the delegation about their assessment of the high level of the research presented to them during the visit and its suitability for the ministry’s goals. Prof. Adir said, “The Technion is currently working to improve the relationship between academic and applied research, which is an essential link for the strength of the Technion and for the advancement of the State of Israel. Academic research sometimes operates on different schedules than those of industry, but through cooperation with the various parties, it is possible to provide our researchers with tools to promote applied research, while maintaining the academic goals of the researchers and students.”

Oz Katz, Director of the Industries Administration at the Ministry of Economy, said that “the war is a crisis, but also an opportunity. First, it clarifies the importance of industry, construction and agriculture to the Israeli economy. These are areas that routinely suffer from low productivity relative to the OECD countries, and during the war, also from a severe shortage of manpower. The solution to these two problems lies in assimilating innovation – a step that will also lead to reducing gaps and strengthening the periphery. In this process, the Technion has an important role. The management of the Technion understands very well the importance of the relationship with industry, and it is clear to industry that the Technion is a very significant resource .”

David Shem Tov, Head of Innovation and Applied Research at the Research Authority at the Technion Institute, noted that a few months ago, the Technion and the Ministry of Economy and Industry signed the “Technion 360” project with an investment of NIS 4 million, and that the current meeting was aimed at expanding this activity. As part of the project, the Technion and the Ministry will lead a combination of innovation, training and entrepreneurship in dozens of manufacturing plants, in order to improve the productivity and competitiveness of Israeli industry

In preparation for the opening of the academic school year on January 14, 2024, a special program was launched this week at the Technion that will facilitate and assist all students, and especially the reserve officers, to return to routine as easily as possible

Mindfulness as a tool to reduce stress and tension, a shared singing space, laughter and movement therapy, playing the drums. These are some of the activities initiated by the Dean of Students Office and the Technion Student Association (AST) as part of the “Back on Track” program. This program is one of the unique initiatives inorganizing academic year and its purpose is to make it easier for all students to return to campus. Other workshops to be held as part of the program are storytelling for the world of work, art workshops and guided imagination, learning strategies and time management, building a career in a changing world and experiences from a trip to Everest

Students in a workshop for making decorative inspirational signs

“We are in the midst of a war for our existence,” said Dean of Students Prof. Ayelet Fishman. “Many of our students are still serving in the reserves and I send them all our support and hugs from here. It is important for me to emphasize that we will do everything to help all of you to integrate back into your studies upon your return to campus. The Technion wishes you a soft landing and a fruitful academic year to all students and especially to all students from the reserve services. We are waiting for you all on campus.”

Students in a common poetry space

In the months since the outbreak of the war, thousands of Technion students have served in the reserves, called up by order 8, in addition to many members of the academic and administrative and teaching staff. Since the outbreak of the war, the Technion has done everything it can to support them. With the help of friends of the Technion in Israel and around the world, a special aid fund was established, which enabled the Technion to grant each of these students 6,000 shekels to help them with the various payments related to the Technion. In addition, a series of academic and other adjustments were established, including extended adjustments .for those recruited in Order 8 for the “Iron Swords” War

Students in a yoga session

The “Back on Track” program takes place from December 24th to January 11th under the leadership of the Dean of Students Office. It will help the students, and especially the reservists, to return to routine as smoothly as possible, to refresh and to fill the gaps. Every day, workshops and activities will be held on campus between 10:30 and 15:00, and in the afternoon, Zoom lectures by experts from various fields will be held. Participation is based on available space and there is no pre-registration.

Students in a workshop for learning time management strategies



For the full program of activities click here.

Professor Shulamit Levenberg of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology’s @Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion has been selected to be a fellow of the American National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Her nomination will be announced at the Academy’s annual conference in North Carolina in June 2024.

Prof. Levenberg is a highly respected researcher and internationally renowned in the field of tissue engineering. She developed technologies for producing tissue to be implanted in damaged muscles, hearts, bones and spinal cords.

Professor Shulamit Levenberg

Recently, she presented a technology for creating an engineered ear to replace ones that did not develop properly. She has also harnessed her research to advance the field of cultivated meat production. The company that she founded based on this research, Aleph Farms has demonstrated the world’s first full-size bio-printed rib-eye steak.

Through the years, Prof. Levenberg has received numerous awards, including the Bruno Award and the Rappaport Prize, and has registered dozens of patents and founded several start-up companies.

She was president of the Israel Stem Cell Society and, until recently, served as the dean of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering.

Earlier this year, she was nominated to be a member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

NAI’s mission is to support and encourage researchers in academia whose inventions have made a significant impact on society, the economy and human welfare.

Those chosen for induction have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

NAI Fellow status is nationally recognized as the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors.

The theme of the upcoming annual conference is, “Unlocking Innovations: Keys to Societal Solutions.”

The Academy also ranks leading universities according to the number of patents registered in the United States. Last year, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology was ranked in 1st in Europe and 40th globally based on data from 2021.