Jacob Nagel, a brigadier general who still serves about 80 days a year in the reserves, is one of Israel’s foremost security experts and has served as acting national security adviser. He is also a Technion alum and visiting professor who heads the Technion’s Advanced Defense Research Institute and is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a nonpartisan research institute based in Washington, D.C.

In August 2024, Prof. Nagel was asked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make recommendations for Israel’s security strategy and budget for the next decade. He formed a committee comprised of 12 experts and former high-ranking defence officials. The 130-page “Nagel Committee Report” was presented to the prime minister, defence minister, and treasury minister on January 6, 2025. All but 20 pages have been made public. We met with Prof. Nagel to discuss the committee’s key findings and the Technion’s role in their implementation.

Prof. Nagel, news reports about the committee’s report highlight two main points: First, Israel must be able to defend itself independently, and second, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) must shift from a defensive posture to a more proactive and preemptive attack strategy. Is that accurate?

Jacob Nagel: That is partially accurate, because there’s much more to the report. When we presented it, I emphasized that while these two points are among the top five, the report includes over 80 recommendations covering a wide range of issues, including military preparedness, defence technology, manpower, and national security strategy.

One of the central themes is that Iran remains the primary threat to Israel. A significant portion of the defence budget must be allocated toward force buildup and preparedness for an inevitable confrontation with Iran. This includes investing in advanced weapons systems, intelligence capabilities, and cyber warfare. Another crucial shift is our transition from a strategy of containment and defence to one of offense and prevention. Preemptive attacks and proactive operations must be part of our military doctrine moving forward.

We also identified manpower as a critical challenge. The strength of the IDF is built not just on weapon systems but on human capital. The IDF faces a growing crisis in retaining top talent, and our recommendations focus on ensuring the best and brightest stay within the system. This requires enhancing career incentives, improving technological education, and fostering a stronger link among academia, the defence industry, and the military.

Regional Threats and Changes in Strategy

J.N.: Beyond Iran, we need to reassess our entire defence posture. We must ensure our capability to attack deep into enemy territory and enhance our missile defence systems. Additionally, we must adapt our ground forces and maneuverability to counter evolving threats. One of the key aspects of our recommendations is ensuring that Israel can independently produce critical defence weapon systems so that we are not dependent on foreign suppliers.

Some news reports claim your committee recommended preparing for potential conflict with Turkey. Can you clarify?

J.N.: They blew it out of proportion. Our report discussed the evolving regional landscape and emphasized that Israel must monitor and prepare for geopolitical shifts. For example, Turkey’s increasing presence in Syria is something we must pay attention to, but we never recommended initiating conflict with Turkey.

And what about Syria?

J.N.: The situation in Syria remains complex. The new administration, while not directly aligned with Iran, is still a volatile entity, originated from a terror organization. They understand that if they want to be recognized globally and stabilize their country, they must distance themselves from Iran’s influence. However, we cannot assume they will automatically become a reliable partner. We must remain cautious and watch their actions closely. Respect should be given based on behavior, not rhetoric.

At the same time, the Syrian military has been severely weakened, and their ability to threaten Israel directly is very limited. But we cannot let our guard down. We must ensure that terrorist organizations do not exploit the power vacuum to establish stronger footholds near our borders. Israel’s approach will be one of vigilance and readiness to act if necessary.

What is the current status of Hamas and Hezbollah? Can they be eradicated, or will they be replaced by other threats?

J.N.: Hamas, as a military organisation, has been largely dismantled. We have taken out 23 of 24 battalions. The only reason one remains is because it is believed that’s where most of the hostages are. However, Gaza still harbors thousands of terrorists and eradicating them will take years. The shift in our strategy is that we will no longer wait for threats to materialise — we will act preemptively. One other recommendation is for Israel to build underground infrastructure to protect our infrastructure and main systems.

Hezbollah poses a greater challenge. Their forces are better equipped. Even after the severe hit from Israel they salvaged around a third of their 200,000 missiles. That’s why our approach in the ceasefire in Lebanon differs. We maintain a presence and act immediately against imminent threats, without waiting for approval.

Technological Innovation and the Role of the Technion

You mentioned a need for underground infrastructure. What does that entail?

J.N.: This involves both civilian and military infrastructure. In the wake of World War II, many cities — like New York — expanded underground to provide shelters and secure facilities. Israel must do the same. Our enemies have built extensive tunnel networks in Gaza and Lebanon; we must develop underground command centres, production and storage facilities, and shelters to maintain operational continuity during attacks.

This effort requires a long-term investment of billions of shekels and will take years to implement, but we have already begun. The Technion plays an essential role in this by developing the necessary engineering solutions, structural reinforcements, and underground defence technologies.

Researchers at the Technion are working on innovative methods to detect, neutralize, and even counter enemy tunnels utilizing advanced robotics, AI-driven mapping, and detection technologies. These efforts ensure that Israel remains ahead in underground warfare capabilities and military resilience.

How else will the Technion contribute to defence strategies?

J.N.: The Technion plays a vital role in technological education and research. Our expertise in aerospace engineering is unique and critical to the development of next-generation UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], hypersonic missiles, and directed-energy weapons, and the new Center for High-Speed Flight will contribute to advancements in capabilities, autonomous systems, and advanced propulsion technologies. The research conducted here lays the foundation for future aerial combat and surveillance capabilities. Additionally, the Technion is working on AI-driven decision-making, quantum computing, and space technologies — all of which will define the future of warfare.

The Technion is launching a high-performance computing centre. Will it also play a role in Israel’s security?

J.N.: High-performance computing is crucial for simulations, data analysis, and AI applications. The Technion’s work in this field supports various defence and civilian projects by enabling more sophisticated computational capabilities. Our advancements in quantum computing, AI, and deep learning are vital for the next generation of defence systems.

Additionally, one of my roles at the Technion is to bridge the gap between academia and the defence industry and defence forces. Often, researchers have groundbreaking ideas but don’t know that they could apply to national security. Conversely, the defence establishment has needs but doesn’t always know that solutions and ideas already exist in academia. My centre [the Advanced Defense Research Institute] helps connect these dots.

During the war, we rapidly turned academic concepts into operational solutions for the battlefield, demonstrating the power of collaboration between academia and the military. This includes advancements in swarm drone technology, cyber defence, and battlefield robotics.

BRIG. GEN. PROF. JACOB NAGEL WITH ISRAEL’S MINISTER OF DEFENSE ISRAEL KATZ.

The Hypocrisy of BDS

What do you say to supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement who claim the Technion is some sort of arm for the military?

J.N.: It’s important to highlight that universities worldwide play a similar role in developing research that ultimately benefits their nations’ defence industries. This is not unique to the Technion or Israel. The United States, for example, has academic institutions like MIT, Stanford, Purdue, and many more that conduct dual-use defence-related research and collaborate with military and civilian entities. The idea that the Technion is a military arm is a complete misrepresentation. The BDS movement, which attempts to delegitimize Israeli institutions, ignores the fact that many American universities engage in similar kinds of research and partnerships. This double standard is not only hypocritical but also intellectually dishonest.

Final Thoughts

Any final words on the report and Israel’s defence future?

J.N.: Our report is about ensuring Israel’s security for the next decade and beyond. We need strategic, technological, and manpower investments to remain ahead of our adversaries. The collaboration among academia, industry, and the defence establishment is crucial to this mission.

At the end of the day, it’s all about protecting Israel and ensuring our forces have the tools they need to succeed. The Technion will continue to be a cornerstone of these efforts by developing technological innovations that will make Israel stronger and keep it safe.

What if the digital world offered not just sight and sound but also the ability to feel?

Imagine a future where technology allows us not only to see and hear each other from great distances but also to feel  – examining a sick patient or tucking in a grandchild from across the globe. Techion Professor Lihi Zelnik-Manor is on a mission to hone technologies that will realize these possibilities.

“I love thinking about the applications of technologies that simulate the sensation of touch: providing medical professionals with new tools, helping people who are blind, and even enabling family members to virtually touch one another across geographical distances,” she says. “The extraordinary promise of such technologies motivates my work.”

The challenge of simulating touch — especially textures — is decades away from full realization. Currently, haptic systems, systems that relate to the sensation of touch, rely on simple vibration motors to simulate touch. These motors are used to provide sensory feedback in devices like haptic gloves or robotic arms, which allow users to “feel” when they grip an object. However, when it comes to simulating detailed textures like the roughness of concrete or the smoothness of fabric, the technology has been limited.

Prof. Zelnik-Manor is working on new innovations that aim to replicate the tactile experience of touching real-world textures. In one experiment, she and her team built a tablet with air pressure systems, which resembled an air hockey table, to simulate tactile feedback and explore the possibility of conveying images to blind individuals through touch. The project faced challenges as the team ultimately realized that humans struggle to understand complex spatial layouts through touch alone. Nonetheless, the experiment provided valuable information about haptic technology.

In a more promising recent experiment, Prof. Zelnik-Manor aimed to create a small device that resembled a computer mouse which could provide tactile feedback for users to recognize textures — a “haptic mouse” with an array of vibrating pins. The pins simulate various textures by stimulating the finger in a way that mimics the sensation of touching real surfaces. The device capitalizes on the brain’s ability to reconstruct textures as users move their fingers across the pins.

The device was tested against real-world 3D-printed materials, and results showed that while the device was not as accurate as physically touching the materials, it was still effective. In the experiment, participants were able to recognize textures with 86% accuracy using the haptic device, compared to 97% accuracy with the 3D-printed surfaces. The recognition process was slower with the device, taking around two minutes versus one minute with the 3D prints. Despite these limitations, the experiment demonstrated the potential of virtual haptic feedback for texture recognition, moving beyond basic tactile tasks to more complex real-world textures.

One of the most exciting applications of haptic technology lies in medicine, particularly in laparoscopic surgery. Surgeons currently rely on visual feedback to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy tissue. If haptic feedback could be integrated into surgical tools, doctors could “feel” the difference between tissues, improving precision and reducing errors. This advancement could be a game-changer in procedures like tumor removal or organ surgery.

The future of touch is just beginning to unfold. As research progresses, the digital world will become more immersive, offering not just sight and sound but also the ability to feel. Though such progress will take decades to achieve, Prof. Zelnik-Manor believes the charge fits squarely within the realm of academia and the mission of the Technion.

“To work on problems whose solutions lie 20 or 30 years in the future, this is the domain of academia,” she says. “While industry is driven to tackle problems with more near-term results, we as Technion researchers have the challenge and privilege of working on deeper, more complex mysteries.”

Technion plays a crucial role in Israel’s infrastructure, security and economy. Industries in which it has made life-changing advancements include energy, water and healthcare, and it’s impossible to look at the diverse student body, 20 per cent of whom are Arab, and not feel hope.

There’s a saying – conveyed in many ways – that to love another, one must first love oneself. Given, then, that the very foundation of Israel hinged on the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, it is no wonder that the country loves it so.

Described as the technological backbone of the country even before its establishment – expressed by the New York Times quite perfectly as “Israel’s hard drive” – the Technion was crucial in the infrastructure, security and economy necessary for the state’s survival, and without which it would simply not exist today.

Set up decades before the state of Israel was established through the prism of Zionism by visionaries including Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, and Theodor Herzl, it was understood that if the country was not only to survive but to thrive, it needed to invest in science and technology. A Jewish state alone would never be enough; it needed to benefit the entire world, starting with the local Arab population – more on this soon.

Rapid progress in biotechnology, drug development, and stem-cell technology.

For before anything else, without the means to defend itself, Israel could not survive, let alone make advancements in any other area. Fortunately, the Technion’s role in the country’s security is no less prevalent today than it was in the years leading up to and immediately after the state’s establishment. Missile defence systems, such as the remarkable Iron Dome developed by Technion alumnus Chanoch Levin that has saved thousands of lives and, most recently, David’s Sling and Iron Beam, as well as underground tunnel detection devices and drone technology, are just a few examples of the role the Israel Institute of Technology has supported in the protection of Israel and its citizens, through a plethora of disciplines offered at the university such as aerospace, engineering and computer science.

In this area the Technion has form; on March 17, 1948, just two months before Israel’s founding, the Haganah recruited physics and chemistry students from the university, among others, to Givatayim, where a radar detection unit was set up. Similarly, it continues to play a pivotal role in securing the country and its people, most recently in the ongoing war since October 7. There are too many examples to list, but they include some 3,000 students – 21 per cent of the student body – being called up as reservists and supported by the university with financial, psychological and educational help. Others include the Faculty of Medicine’s transformation of what usually functions as a car park in peacetime to a 2,000-bed fortified underground hospital and the establishment of the “Give Help, Get Help” scheme, which has been responsible for hosting dozens of internally displaced people, opening schools on campus for Technion staff children, clearing out bomb shelters, baking challah, organising blood drives, giving haircuts to soldiers and donating packages.

Companies including Google, Microsoft, IBM, Qualcomm, Yahoo!, Hewlett-Packard and others have established their operation near or even on campus, where they can take advantage of the Technion’s research power and outstanding graduates.

It’s because of all this that the Technion has also been able to live up to the nickname of “the Startup Nation”. According to Stanford Graduate School of Business research, the Technion is 25 times more likely to produce a US-based unicorn startup than any other non-US university. Industries in which the institute has made life-changing advancements include energy, water and health (with groundbreaking inventions such as the PillCam – a tiny, wireless, capsule-encased camera the size of a jelly bean and small enough to be swallowed, which hundreds of UK hospitals are using – and novel drug Rasagiline to treat Parkinson’s disease, approved by the American Food and Drug Administration in 2006).

Yet perhaps we need only look closer to home when we answer why Israel loves the Technion. Circling back to our earlier point of how the Israel Institute of Technology benefits not only the Jewish people but its Arab population, too, it’s impossible to look at the diverse makeup of the student body, 20 per cent of whom are Arab, and not feel an overwhelming sense of hope for the future.

It’s clear that the Technion feels exactly the same about Israel as Israel feels about the Technion, and there’s nothing quite like requited love, is there?

Business Intelligence Group Innovation Awards recognize ideas, organizations and people that are positioned to change how we experience the world.

The Philadelphia-based Business Intelligence Group honored three Israeli companies at its 2025 BIG Innovation Awards, which “recognize all ideas, organizations and people – no matter how big or small – that are positioned to change how we interact and experience the world around us.”

ICL Group of Tel Aviv won in the agriculture category.

This global specialty minerals company focuses on sustainable solutions for the food, agriculture, and industrial markets. Its agricultural products include fertilizers using minerals mined from the Dead Sea, and advanced ag-tech products to increase yield, growth, quality, and harvesting of crops.

Dr. Ofer Sharon, CEO of OncoHost. Photo courtesy of OncoHost

OncoHost of Binyamina (Israel) and North Carolina won in the healthcare category.

The precision oncology company’s PROphet platform provides reliable biomarkers to optimize immunotherapy treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes. The platform’s initial commercialized test is the first and only liquid biopsy standalone proteomics test on the market and the first AI-based blood test to guide first-line immunotherapy decisions in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. In addition, OncoHost is developing PROphetirAE, a test designed to predict immune-related adverse events prior to the start of treatment.

Trax Retail of Singapore and Tel Aviv won in the retail category.

Founded in 2010 by Israeli entrepreneurs Joel Bar-El and Dror Feldheim, Trax developed a first-in-market image-capture solution that sees every product on a store’s shelves, coolers, displays, bar taps and back rooms. The BIG award is specifically for Trax’s signal-based merchandising system that provides brands and retailers with ongoing access to critical insights for addressing out-of-stocks, phantom inventory and pricing disparities. Trax is active in more than 90 countries.

The BIG Innovation Awards program receives nominations from across the globe. Nominees are judged by a panel of experienced business executives. They use a proprietary unique scoring system that “selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.”

Despite the ongoing war and its effects on Israel’s younger population, an Israeli team won first place at the international robotics competition in Houston, Texas, at the end of April, for the first time in twenty years.

This competition is run by a non-profit organization called FIRST which strives to expose students to STEM-related subjects through different robotics competitions. With the support and sponsorship of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, FIRST Israel offers children programming from when they are in primary school to when they attend high school through which they can learn about robotics as part of a team and community.

These programs – FIRST LEGO League Challenge for primary school students and FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students – also provide a platform for kids to learn about core values such as teamwork, the importance of the process of learning, and inclusion.

In the time it takes to read this article, several people in the United States will likely experience a heart attack — according to the CDC, someone in the US suffers from one every 40 seconds.

That morbid statistic highlights the importance of coronary artery disease detection methods, and companies developing them.

One such company is Israeli startup AccuLine, which recently secured $4.2 million in seed funding for the development and commercialisation of its CORA (Coronary Artery Risk Assessment) system, designed to improve the early detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), a leading cause of heart attacks.

CORA detects two bio-signals in the heart’s electrical activity, providing insights into coronary artery health. The system uses artificial intelligence and machine-learning algorithms to analyse this data, identifying patterns that may indicate CAD.

The CORA assessment improves upon current CAD diagnostic tools by means of a noninvasive, radiation-free test that evaluates three vital signs — the heart’s electrical activity, oxygen saturation levels and respiratory phase — in four minutes.

The system is designed to be operated by medical staff in various healthcare settings, with immediate results. By potentially replacing some existing stress test examinations, CORA could reduce medical expenses while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.

AccuLine, based in Petah Tikva, estimates the market potential for the technology at $7 billion annually in the United States.

The company has conducted two clinical studies in Israel to validate CORA’s diagnostic capabilities. The first involved 100 participants, while the second, larger study included 300 participants across seven medical centers. A third study is planned for next year in the US to seek US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

“Diagnosing patients at very early stages of risk for CAD without invasive testing will add value to patients, healthcare systems, doctors and insurance organisations,” said AccuLine cofounder and CEO Moshe Barel.

“This test has the potential to save millions of lives a year and save hundreds of millions of dollars for healthcare systems on unnecessary tests or expensive treatments for patients after a heart attack, including rehabilitation and medication.”

Maayan Kinsbursky, a graduate of the advanced degree program in industrial design at the Technion, has won the international Red Dot Design Award for her master’s project. The award ceremony will take place in Singapore on October 10, and the project will subsequently be exhibited at the Red Dot Design Museum, also in Singapore. The project was supervised by Assistant Professor Yoav Sterman, former innovation manager at Nike, and a faculty member in the industrial design program headed by Prof. Ezri Tarazi, in the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning.

Kinsbursky’s project, U·Bra, is an innovative bra designed for women who have undergone a mastectomy and cannot have reconstruction surgery. These women often opt for a silicone prosthesis inserted into a special bra, which can cause excessive sweating, rashes, pressure, and shoulder pain. Additionally, the prosthesis can create an asymmetrical appearance and may cause discomfort and embarrassment due to the fear of it shifting or falling out.

The U·Bra

In Kinsbursky’s research, the bra and prosthesis were designed as an integrated unit, customized for women who have had a mastectomy. The customization is based on 3D scanning, design processing, and 3D printing using a unique method developed at the Technion. The resulting product is a soft, airy, lightweight textile item that is tailored to the specific user.

Kinsbursky, who grew up in the Golan Heights, completed her bachelor’s degree in industrial design at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and pursued her master’s degree at the Technion. The award-winning project was realized at the Technion using innovative printing technology developed in the CodedMatter Laboratory led by Asst. Prof. Sterman. As she is currently on maternity leave, Kinsbursky’s lab team is continuing the pilot program, fitting bras for twenty women who have undergone mastectomies.

The Red Dot Design Awards, considered to be the “Oscars of the design world,” aim to promote excellence in design. The awards are given in three categories and Kinsbursky won in the Design Concept category. The project was selected to participate in the Technion’s “Science Accelerators” program, generously supported by the Hitman Foundation and the Bernstein Foundation.

Photo credits: Haim Zinger, Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning Photography Lab (Maayan and Yoav). Reut Degani (Bra).

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology — established a quarter of a century before Israel became an independent nation — has been inexorably linked to the State’s security since its inception.  

For 100 years, the Technion has been the technological backbone of Israel. Nearly all aspects of the nation’s industrial, agricultural, scientific, and defense capabilities have been driven by Technion students, graduates, or faculty members.   

Technion aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science graduates are sought out by Israel’s leading defense companies to solve challenges unique to Israel’s defense needs. Alumni are leading teams that develop missile defense systems, underground tunnel detection devices, and drone technology that allows ground troops to survey potentially dangerous urban areas from a safe distance. They are deterring cyberattacks, aiding Homefront Command in planning civilian shelters, and safeguarding strategic facilities.

The Technion imbues its students with an existential obligation to break barriers and make the impossible possible. 

Iron Dome 

Iron Dome, one of Israel’s most remarkable defense systems, has saved thousands upon thousands of lives. During the current war with Hamas, its protection allows Israelis to live life with some degree of normalcy. But if not for Technion-instilled drive, it may never have come to fruition.  

When the nation experienced a massive rocket bombardment by Hezbollah in 2006, the need for a short-range anti-missile defense system was identified. The idea for Iron Dome was developed by Technion alumnus Chanoch Levin who led a team at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems made up of 350 of Israel’s best engineers. His core team members were all Technion alumni.   

Originally no one believed it could be done. “This is like hitting a butterfly with a stone,” said one critic.  

“Imagine a Coke bottle flying several times faster than the speed of sound on an irregular course. Intercepting it seems far-fetched,” said Levin.  

The Israeli air force, missile experts from the U.S., and the media all initially panned the idea, saying it could never be done. Rather than crushing their spirits, the criticism and doubt only spurred them to succeed.  

“Maybe we should thank the media. Because when you read a cynical article, you say to yourself, ‘Let’s show them’ and you tackle the project, invigorated,” said a systems engineer (and Technion alumnus) for the interceptor and launcher.  

Failure was also seen as a necessary ingredient to success. “We developed a work culture of risk-taking based on the understanding that failures teach you a lot, too,” he said. 

Iron Dome assesses and identifies rocket and artillery shell threats between 2.5 miles to 45 miles away, destroying them in 15 seconds. With a success rate of more than 90%, it was developed in only three years on a shoestring budget, winning full support and funding from the Israeli air force and the United States government.  

Arrow Antimissile 

Technion alumnus Dov Raviv envisioned and led the development of the first long-range antimissile system at Israel Airspace Industries (IAI). The Arrow 1 technology demonstrator was successfully tested in 1990. The Gulf War in 1991 was the impetus for further development. Arrow 2 became the world’s first operational defense system against missiles in 2000.

American Technion Society

In 2008, another team of Technion graduates at IAI led by alumna Inbal Kreiss began working on Arrow 3. It became operational in 2017 and is capable of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear, chemical, or biological warheads as far as 1,500 miles away during the space-flight portion of their trajectory. 

“We must be ready on time, and we must be ready before our enemies,” said Kreiss. She said her guiding principle to “Be first; be excellent” was learned at the Technion and that her staff was comprised of so many Technion alumni they would joke that they haven’t left the University.  

She credits the Technion for creating an atmosphere of perseverance, refusing to settle for less than excellence and instilling the determination to overcome challenges. 

As Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion once said of this spirit: “The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer.” 

Arrow 3 was used for the first time in November 2023 when Iran-backed Houthi terrorists fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel. Both Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 were used to intercept the long-range ballistic missile barrage from Iran in April 2024.

David’s Sling and Iron Beam 

Israel’s newest defense systems, David’s Sling and Iron Beam – both developed at Rafael – also involved teams of Technion graduates. With coverage three times greater than Iron Dome, David’s Sling identifies and destroys airborne threats from 25 miles to 190 miles away. It became operational in 2017 and has been used in the Hamas-Israel war, intercepting rockets launched at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iron Beam, still under development, uses a high-energy laser interceptor, and not a missile, to destroy targets. 

Even before the establishment of the State of Israel, faculty, students, and alumni of the Technion helped develop and manage water resources in a desert land. They contributed to the national water carrier that brought water from the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) in the north to the drylands in the south. They improved technologies for water treatment, desalination, and drip irrigation. These efforts have turned Israel from a water-deficient to a water-abundant country.  

Today, Israel leads the world in water reclamation, recycling more than 90% of its wastewater for use in agriculture and industry. No longer reliant on the Kinneret, Israel’s five desalination plants provide the bulk of the country’s drinking water. Complex systems carry diverse water types from diverse water sources for diverse water needs. 

But far from resting on its laurels, improving the sustainability and quality of water and water management facilities remains a major priority for Israel and for the Technion. The University established the Stephen and Nancy Grand Water Research Institute (GWRI) in 1993 to address these challenges through science, technology, engineering, and policy development.  

The GWRI comprises more than 40 researchers from various faculties, including civil, environmental, mechanical, and chemical engineering, as well as chemistry, biotechnology, and more. They publish about 200 papers a year on topics from water resource management to aquaculture systems to feed a burgeoning world population. While its focus is on the needs of Israel, it is also very much involved internationally. 

“One-third of the world’s population lives under water scarcity conditions,” said Professor Eran Friedler, director of the GWRI and the Henry Goldberg Academic Chair in the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is also a Technion alumnus, having received a Ph.D. in environmental engineering in 1994.  

FROM LEFT: PROF. DAVID BRODAY; PROF. ERAN FRIEDLER; ILAN KATZ, CEO AND CTO OF H2OLL; AND LIRON HOUBER, STUDENT.

“The number will only increase due to population growth, urbanization, and climate change. And this can lead to political instability and refugees,” Prof. Friedler added. 

And that’s the reason he co-invented a system that produces clean water from the air with a colleague, Professor David Broday. Their atmospheric water generator harvests air moisture by an innovative continuous liquid desiccant system. Energy is only invested when condensing the vapor into liquid water. It even works in desert regions and can run on solar energy. They founded a startup, H2OLL, to commercialize the product. 

Prof. Friedler’s area of expertise in developing alternative water resources and improving delivery systems extends to research on wastewater reuse and methodologies to harvest rainwater. He is looking into ways to store rainwater in tanks that can be released when the water flow in drainage pipes is low. This rainwater can be used in toilets, washing machines, and dishwashers. And with some treatment, it could be used for drinking water. 

“With climate change, rain events are going to be more severe. If we can store the water through harvesting, we can reduce the amount of drainage water in cities while supplying water to various uses.” 

Other GWRI researchers are working on ways to reduce the environmental impact in water treatment and desalination. Some are working on organic methods to remove pollutants. 

“Even at the end of the traditional treatment process, there are still pollutants in very small concentrations that are not removed,” said Professor Yael Dubowski. “Residues of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, personal care products — we don’t know enough about the problems they could cause when water containing them is used for agriculture.” 

PROF. YAEL DUBOWSKI USES VACUUM-ULTRAVIOLET VERY SHORT WAVELENGTH RADIATION TO REMOVE POLLUTANTS IN WATER WITHOUT CHEMICALS.

Prof. Dubowski has investigated a chemical-free advanced oxidation process that is based solely on ultraviolet light. Such radiation breaks the water molecules and generates the radicals needed for pollutants’ oxidation. It holds promise for an additional step in the water treatment process. 

Associate Professor Adi Radian is studying the natural, positive processes that occur in the environment to breakdown pollutants. She wants to mimic them to improve remediation in engineered systems. 

“Clay minerals are plentiful, cheap, natural, nontoxic, and have huge surface areas,” she explained. “Clay is often used to soak up spills and bad smells — think cat litter.” Prof. Radian is working on changing the chemistry of clay to make it adsorb (bring to the surface) rather than absorb pollutants. Depending on the properties of the pollutant, she can change the properties of the clay.  

ASSOC. PROF. ADI RADIAN HAS DEVELOPED A WAY TO REMOVE TOXIC PFAS (PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES) LIKE TEFLON AND OTHER NONSTICK MATERIALS FROM WATER.

She has already had great success with removing “forever chemicals” from water systems. These are toxic substances like Teflon and other nonstick materials that repel water. Using iron oxide coated-clay together with cyclodextrin polymers, she was able to remove 90% of them from contaminated water in just minutes. 

Since Israel has been using desalinated water for drinking and reclaimed wastewater for agriculture in greater quantities and longer than any other country, Profs. Friedler, Dubowski, and Radian, and other Technion researchers are sure to play a major role in solving the world’s water scarcity problems. They acknowledge that the key is finding environmentally sustainable and affordable means to do it.  

In the late 1970s, when no one thought it could be possible, Dov Raviv, a Technion alumnus, had a fantastical idea for a defensive weapon that could intercept and shoot down long-range incoming missiles. The idea developed into what would become the Arrow Antimissile System, the world’s first missile defense platform, and what would protect Israel from Iran’s missile barrage on April 13, 2024.
Dov Raviv was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1937. Had he stayed there he was destined to become a tradesman. Fortunately, his family emigrated to Israel in 1947. He initially trained as a locksmith in Israel, but his mother wanted more for her son. After all, he was now living in the Promised Land. So, Dov enrolled at the Technion, unsure what field of study to pursue.
“My father said, ‘why don’t you learn how to make airplanes,’” Dov said. His father, who sold and bought luggage and other travel items, didn’t suggest the field because he believed Dov showed some kind of special acuity for aerospace or engineering, but “just because he liked airplanes. So that’s what I did.”
The Technion has the only faculty of aerospace engineering in Israel. At the time, Moshe Arens, a U.S.-trained aeronautical engineer, was one of its earliest faculty members. “Moshe Arens was very inspiring,” said Dov. “He was an excellent teacher and he drove me.” After leaving the Technion in 1965, Arens served as minister of defense for Israel three times and as ambassador to the United States.
Dov obtained a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering in 1959, and went to work for MLM, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). He excelled at all tasks and brought many new ideas to the company. While at MLM, he was also an officer in the Israeli air force in charge of ballistic missile trajectories.
He was promoted to director of MLM in 1978, overseeing 180 employees and transforming it from IAE’s manufacturing plant into an arm for engineering systems and production with 1,100 employees by the time he retired in 1992. During this timeframe, he began development on the Arrow interceptor missile and launcher he had envisioned with a team of all Technion graduates.

THE ARROW 1 TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR WAS SUCCESSFULLY TESTED IN 1990.

The air force didn’t believe a device to intercept missiles was possible. But Dov didn’t give up. “I pushed it so much until people started listening. I had a reputation for getting things done,” he explained. But funding was lacking.

In 1984, a delegation from the United States Air Force visited IAI and Dov was asked to present projects in development. Six months later, U.S. Lt. Gen. James Abrahamson, an aeronautical engineer and astronaut, requested a proposal to support the Arrow experiment. Gen. Abrahamson was the director of the new Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO), known as the Star Wars Program, to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system for the U.S.

“I submitted a proposal for $150 million. They couldn’t believe it could be done with so little money and they funded it, I believe, as an exercise to see if it could really be done. In the end, we did it with a lot less.”

In 1986, a formal agreement between the U.S. and Israel was signed to co-fund a multi-billion-dollar Arrow program, and in 1988, SDIO placed an order with IAE for the Arrow 1 technology demonstrator. Arrow 1 was successfully tested in 1990. The Gulf War in 1991 was the impetus for further development of the Arrow. Arrow 2 became the world’s first operational defense system against missiles in 2000.

Arrow 3 — also led by a team of Technion alumni — became operational in 2017. It is capable of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear, chemical, or biological warheads as far as 1,500 miles away during the space-flight portion of their trajectory. Both Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 were used to intercept the long-range ballistic missile barrage from Iran in April.

Dov Raviv, who lives in Rishon LeZion, a suburb just south of Tel Aviv, reflected on his journey. “I would have been a pretty good locksmith. I was the youngest and best in the class.” No doubt. It’s lucky for Israel that his mother wanted him to get a higher education and his father liked airplanes.