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In the 25th May 2014 edition of Israel’s good news:
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
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National debt ratio falls again. Israel’s debt-to-GDP ratio – the most important index for measuring a country’s fiscal and financial soundness – fell to 66.1% in 2013 from 67.1% in 2012. In 2006 the ratio was 82% and in 2002 it was over 100%. The average debt-to-GDP ratio among developed countries is 108.5%
Israel becomes a “big cheese”. The France-based international cheese makers’ association, La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, is opening its first office in Israel. A delegation from the prestigious association awarded membership to chef Meir Adoni, gastronomist Michal Ansky and six local boutique cheese makers.
Global Confidence in Israel’s Long-Term Viability. Ex-Ambassador Yoram Ettinger writes a positive summary of Israel’s recent business and economic activity.
Elbit launches new incubator. Elbit Systems has inaugurated its Incubit Technology Ventures accelerator at the Beersheva High-Tech Park. Incubit is the first technology incubator in Israel owned by a homegrown Israeli corporation. It has already invested in two ventures and plans more than twenty in the next eight years.
Promoting the Haredi high-tech revolution. Yossi Rabinovitz, CEO of Israeli e-commerce start-up SelfPoint is showing that the Haredi high-tech revolution is growing rapidly. SelfPoint, a member of the Microsoft Ventures Accelerator, lets customers easily set up and use an online store for their merchandise.
Tennis stars invest in Israeli training system. World number two tennis player Novak Djokovic and tennis women’s legend Billie Jean King have joined in the latest $3.5 million round of funding into PlaySight Interactive – the Israeli company that has developed the SmartCourt sports analytics system.
PA and Gaza farmers learn Israeli techniques. Palestinian Arab farmers participated in a five-day course in post-harvest techniques held at the Volcani Institute, within the Israeli Agriculture Ministry complex in Beit Dagan. The farmers explored a variety of issues related to the packing and storage of fruits and vegetables.
French farmers adopt Israeli irrigation technique. (Thanks to Hazel) Farmers in southwestern France have responded to dwindling water resources by adopting drip irrigation – a money-saving technique invented in the 1960s in Israel. Growers say that drip irrigation has helped them save water, fertilizer and increase yields.
Israel’s “best friend” wins Indian election. The International Business Times called India’s newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi “Israel’s best friend in South Asia”. As Chief Minister of the Gujarat province, Modi endorsed joint projects in industrial R&D, solar & thermal power, water recycling, desalination and more.
Israeli beer. Please watch this new video and maybe plan a visit to Tel Aviv’s “The Dancing Camel”.
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israeli glasses can see in the dark. “Lumus” and “Opgal“, two cutting-edge Israeli optics companies, have collaborated to develop a Google Glass-style night-vision display system. The Therm-App mobile device, mounted on headgear, transmits high-resolution images to the Lumus wearable display.
Blazing performance. Israel’s BlazeMeter has developed a cloud-based platform for self-testing of mobile and Internet performance. Its systems include the JMeter mobile testing platform and have conducted more than 500, 000 tests over 50, 000 users, including Fortune 100 companies. It has just raised $6.5 million in finance.
Joint cyber defense research with the UK. Britain’s Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance and Israel’s National Cyber Bureau have signed a pact in London to finance joint cyber defense research.
Tel Aviv University Innovation Day. StarTau’s innovation day was studded with start-up companies big and small, pitching their ideas and connecting with like-minded investors and entrepreneurs. Students from MBA programs mingled with investors, angels, and new companies alike.
Device to test liquids for bacteria infections. (Thanks to Israel21c) The Bactusense optical biosensor uses silicon-based microchips to trap bacteria from any liquid. Developed by scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Israel’s Technion, the device is now licensed to Israeli venture capital company Capitalnano.
18 Israeli companies at US Oil & Gas conference. A delegation of 18 Israeli companies providing solutions to the Oil & Gas industry presented at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas. They included Flow Industries, who make the “green” AirShock pre-fracking and oil well rejuvenation system.
Coating protects fabric, metal and glass. Israel’s Nano Z-Tech is developing nanocoating technology that protects many surfaces from liquid spills or rainwater, with diverse uses. It also allows visible light to penetrate roofs and windows, but not infrared light (heat energy), which makes NASA very interested in the product.
$300 million for joint Israel-China research institute. Back in September, Tel Aviv University signed an agreement to establish the XIN Research Center with Beijing’s Tsinghua University. Israel and China have now agreed to invest a total of $300 million to build one of the biggest academic R&D centers for either country.
Robot to clear landmines. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has presented SAHAR – an autonomous robotic route clearance system. The system handles functions such as environmental terrain mapping, surveillance, removal of roadblocks, and disposal of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).
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The “promised land” of 3D printing? Dennis Mitzner writes about Israel’s dominance in the 3D printing market. By 2015, two companies with Israeli CEOs (Statasys and 3D Systems) will together have almost 50% of the 3D printing market. And the Cross-Lab Network project will put Israel even further in front.
1Gb Internet speed. The Israel Electric Company (IEC) is offering fiber optic Internet connections to Israeli homes and businesses. From June, the “Unlimited” network is to offer speeds up to 1 gbps (1 gigabit, or 1000 megabits, per second). The fiber optic network is a national project being implemented out by IEC contractors.
Bell Labs to open in Tel Aviv. Michel Combes, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent announced that Lucent’s Bell Labs is to open a branch in Tel Aviv this summer. Bell Labs has been innovating for nearly a century. Combes said its arrival in Israel is a clear confirmation of the confidence Alcatel-Lucent has in Israeli technology.
MIXiii conference – Israel at its full prowess. The Israel Innovation (MIXiii) conference is the first in the world where Biomed and High-tech join hands in a unique and exciting new international conference format. At least 1, 500 participants from over 45 countries and 4, 500 one-on-one meetings are expected.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
First-ever bone graft, using bone grown in lab. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) A human patient with deficient jawbone has received a successful bone transplant using bone grown by Israel’s Bonus BioGroup using the patient’s own fat cells. The company expects the graft to be fully tolerated, without immunological rejection.
Protecting the brain during heart operations. Israeli biotech Keystone Heart’s TriGuard is a cerebral protection device specifically designed to minimize the risk of brain damage during heart valve replacements and other cardiovascular procedures. Keystone has just raised $14 million of investment funding.
Israeli ALS treatment to be presented at Turkish conference. Professor Dimitrios Karussis, Principal Investigator of BrainStorm’s clinical trials of its ALS stem cell treatment at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center, will present at the Joint Congress of European Neurology, May 31-June 3 in Istanbul, Turkey.
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