The Technion’s story has been intertwined with Israel’s for more than a century, from laying the foundations for a new nation to shaping its future.
While many Technion – Israel Institute of Technology alumni move all around the world taking on leadership roles across the technology sector, they often find ways to stay close to the Technion and Israel at heart. I recently spoke with Lior Ron, founder and CEO of Uber Freight, about his journey from a child in Israel interested in computers to an executive at a major tech company in Silicon Valley, as well as the many ways the Technion has played a role in his life and career every step of the way. Michael: I know that you’re in Silicon Valley…
The emerging multidisciplinary field of mechanobiology is leading to advancements in constructing engineered tissues and organs, repairing and regenerating damaged tissue, providing therapy for diseases, improving plant growth and agricultural products, and developing new or self-repairing materials. The field studies how cells sense and respond to mechanical signals. New research in this field by Assistant Professor Joshua Grolman and Yifan Liao in the Technion’s Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering and Assistant Professor Charles Diesendruck in the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry demonstrates a strategy for measuring mechanical forces in biological processes. The development is expected to accelerate, streamline, and reduce…
Technion student reservist N.H.’s outlook on the future is grounded in optimism and resilience. “I think that choosing to live, choosing to wake up every single morning and still come to campus and still learn and still study and get married is the biggest thing we can do as the Jewish nation, as the Israeli nation,” she reflected. “We’re here forever.” N.H. and her husband got married amidst the early chaos of the war with Hamas while both serving in the reserves. Though they couldn’t live together at first, they eventually found time to reunite, juggling early mornings and long…
In the year since the horrific and devastating attacks of October 7, 2023, our world has completely changed. More than one thousand Israelis lost their lives that day – a tragedy that we will never forget. As we reflect and hope for the hostages’ safe return, one thing has become clear: Israeli resilience has never been stronger. As people around Israel woke up to a new reality on October 8, 2023, so too did the students and staff at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. To commemorate this tragic anniversary and honor the bravery of all those called to…
As we mark the tragic anniversary of October 7, we honor the incredible spirit of resilience, resolve, and response expressed by Israelis throughout the nation. Following the initial days of trauma and devastation, Israelis refused to be victims and took action. They volunteered by the thousands to help their fellow citizens in need. And the Technion community was among them. Beyond all that the Technion administration did to support students and secure the campus, the Technion Student Association, academic departments and faculties, and staff displayed inspiring solidarity. The collective spirit of volunteerism was truly remarkable and played an active and…
M.A. is a third-year undergraduate in the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering. He is also a reserve solider in the Egoz, an elite commando unit specializing in guerrilla warfare. On October 7, he was ordered to immediately join his unit. He was deployed to the South, fighting the terrorists who infiltrated the country. “Fighting was fierce in the kibbutzim,” he said. When the terrorists were eliminated from Israel, his unit was sent to fight Hamas in Gaza. For more than three months, M.A. was involved in intense combat. Cell phones were not permitted, and he couldn’t communicate with his…
Amiel and Eitan Gorbonos, twin brothers and Technion students, have developed a proof of concept for an innovative chip for image enhancement. The project, conducted in the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was supported by Apple. Their chip is designed to filter image noise, removing graininess from photos. In the images below, one can see the dramatic improvement in image quality — from left (raw image) to right (the image after filtering image noise).
For many people around the world, a doctor’s visit can be exceptionally fraught due to a language barrier in a scenario where accuracy and the ability to understand and be understood are of utmost importance. But four former and current students of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have developed a new tool that could mean an end to such situations, with an automatic translation platform that is designed specifically for encounters between patients and their physicians. “It is a simultaneous translator between doctors and patients who have both language and cultural challenges,” explains CommU CEO Hadar…
With the strict laws limiting human rights for asylum-seeking refugees, this story illustrates how volunteers can use their professional skills to provide essential services for these refugees. Artie Jacobowitz made aliyah with his wife, Karen, in January this year. They have two sons and four grandchildren living in the US. Artie lost no time as a retired biomedical equipment engineer in searching for volunteer work. He contacted the Yahel Social Change Fellowship, which matches volunteers and their skills with the needs of the local communities. And indeed, there was a great need for Artie’s professional skills at Ruach Hadashah, a…
A new Israeli study has determined that processed food is not bad for us – despite its long-standing poor reputation – and with the right addition of proteins can actually give our bodies a boost. Processed food is actually a blanket description for any foods that have been changed in some way during their preparation. This could be drying, preserving (which is what we usually think of when we hear the term) or even cooking itself. And while we imagine processed foods to be ones that have undergone a more drastic treatment like breakfast cereal, ready meals, canned meat or…
As president of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, I am inspired by the resilience and determination of Israeli students, faculty, and staff who continue their academic pursuits under the current difficult circumstances. At the same time, I am troubled by the escalating violence, antisemitism, and anti-Israel sentiment observed at prominent universities in North America, Europe, and Australia, as well as by the calls for academic boycotts of Israeli universities. These calls fuel a vicious circle of incitement, hatred, and violence faced by Jewish students and faculty around the world. I fear that academic boycotts will not only harm…
A research group in the Technion’s Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science was able to takeover Siemens’ new controllers, among the most secure in the world. These controllers are used in a wide range of systems, including aircraft, vehicles, production lines, power stations, gas and oil pipelines, smart homes, traffic lights, and even nuclear reactors. The research was presented at the Black Hat USA 2024 conference by alumni Nadav Adir and Alon Dankner under the guidance of Professor Eli Biham, head of the Hiroshi Fujiwara Cybersecurity Research Center at the Technion, and Dr. Sara Bitan, a senior researcher…