EMET PRIZE LAUREATE $200M Start-Ups Venture Capital Fund to Support Start-Ups Istinguished Prof
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TECHNION Israel Institute of Technology OCTOBER 2017 www.focus.technion.ac.il TECHNION ISRAEL - USA - CHINA P. 2 NEW YORK CITY GUANGDONG HAIFA for Technion EMET PRIZE LAUREATE $200M Start-ups Venture capital fund to support start-ups istinguished Prof. Jacob Medal, and Claude E. Shannon based on Technion-created knowhow Ziv of the Andrew Award. He has held positions and Erna Viterbi including President of the At the closing plenary of the 2017 meeting of Technion’s Board of Faculty of Electrical Israel Academy of Sciences, Governors, the Technion Research & Development Foundation Ltd. DEngineering has been chosen Chair of the Planning and (TRDF) and UG Capital Management Ltd. (UGC) announced their intent as laureate for the 2017 Budgeting Committee of to establish a new venture capital fund of $200 million. The fund will EMET Prize in the category the Israeli Council for Higher focus on investments in science and technology companies mainly of ‘Exact Sciences: Computer Education, and has been a related to Technion and its alumni. and Electronic Engineering.’ The member of leading American prize is awarded annually under and European societies. UGC is the venture capital arm of United Gain Investment Ltd. (UGI), Prof. Jacob Ziv the auspices of the Prime Minister The Lempel-Ziv algorithm, which a fund management company with extensive experience in global of Israel, and consists of five categories of Prof. Ziv developed together with investments, asset management, and consulting services. academic or professional achievements that have Prof. Abraham Lempel of Technion’s Faculty significantly benefited society. of Computer Science, is an algorithm for The fund’s joint management team, with offices in Israel and Hong compressing information that enables lossless Kong, includes Jonathan Mitchell, CY Lau, and Thomas Lau of UGC; and Prof. Ziv is being recognized for his game- compression regardless of the structure of the Eddy Shalev, Dr Eyal Kishon, and Gary Gannot of Genesis Partners. changing contribution to the fields of information data and without prior knowledge of its statistical and communications. properties. Many of the compression technologies Prof. Wayne Kaplan, Executive Vice President for Research and currently used in memory devices, computers, Director General of TRDF, thanked the team that led the development Over the years, Prof. Ziv has won prestigious and smartphones were developed based on on behalf of Technion and said, “Technion has been increasing its awards including the BBVA Frontiers of this algorithm. commercialization activities in recent years and we have already noted Knowledge Award, Israel Prize in the Exact many successes in this field, including more than doubling the number Sciences, Israel Defense Prize (twice), Marconi The award ceremony is scheduled to take place of startup companies set up at Technion through the new DRIVE International Award, IEEE Richard W. Hamming on November 5, 2017. Accelerator. However, we must not rest on our laurels.” Continued on page 2 IN MEMORY INTERNATIONAL NOBEL URBAN In this issue… 02 03 PREDICTOR 06 ECOLOGY 08 OCTOBERMAY 2009 2017 FROM THE PRESIDENT Ullmann Teaching Center; and the renovated David and Janet Polak Visitors Center is gaining an exhibitions wing. Our plans are no less ambitious. Amongst others, a state- of-the-art dorms building in downtown Haifa will eventually accommodate 220 medical students. The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine will also acquire a new building to house the Integrated Cancer Research Center. At the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering, an additional wing will expand research space. The Center for Intelligent Composite Materials, a new wing of laboratories, Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie addresses the audience at the historic is set to be added to the Faculty of Materials Science and opening of the Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island campus, Sept. 12, 2017 Engineering. A new building will provide much needed laboratory space for research in Life Sciences. The Amado Welcome to this Autumn 2017 edition of FOCUS. Mathematics Building will gain a wing, the Andrew and News Technion is opening the academic year at the Jacobs Aviva Goldenberg Architecture Studio Pavilion. In Loving Memory Institute in New York; in Shantou, China, where the 2 Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) The quest continues. As one of Technion’s founders, Amanda (Mandy) Jaffe-Katz commences its first semester; and here, in Haifa, where Albert Einstein, said, “The more I learn, the more I realize 1960 - 2017 for over a century, Technion has been a wellspring of how much I don’t yet know.” The more our knowledge of pioneering science, technology, and engineering. our world expands thanks to Technion’s devoted pursuit through both microscopes and telescopes, the more we Amanda (Mandy) Jaffe-Katz was a valued and highly Here, at Technion, is the fertile soil out of which the great realize just how much more is unknown and needs to be respected figure at Technion, known for her brilliant and tree of human progress grows. From superbugs and researched, and therefore just how much space is needed sharp mind, high standards, professionalism, and loyalty cancer research, to energy research, quantum physics, and to accommodate it all. to the Institute. She was the driving force and editor world-class computer science - this is where it starts. of FOCUS for the past 16 years, which she developed As Technion’s campuses in three global technology hubs as an exemplary medium of science communication, Over the past year, we have completed several exciting welcome the new academic year, we look forward to disseminating groundbreaking discoveries, global news, building projects. Four nine-story dormitory buildings with the collaboration, opportunity, and innovation they will and campus life with an unparalleled richness. 116 apartments will house 488 additional undergraduate undoubtedly bring. students. Research laboratories were renovated at the We all consulted with Mandy. Her brilliant mind was like Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Peretz Lavie an encyclopedia of everything “Technion” - from its history Engineering, and Rappaport Faculty of Medicine for the to the latest research breakthroughs. She was an avid use of our graduate students. A Learning Center has been fact-checker, initiator, and editor and will be missed as a added to the Zielony Student Union Building. devoted colleague of the highest standard. As we look with anticipation towards the coming academic $200M To quote Technion Vice President Prof. Boaz Golany: year and the Jewish year 5778, many projects are for Technion Start-ups “Mandy was a model for dedication, professionalism, and underway, both those already under construction and responsibility in everything she did.” several in the planning stage. Our two main entrance Continued from page 1 gates have already begun to undergo major upgrades; She held two degrees in psychology from Manchester an additional floor of classrooms is being added to the University and Haifa University. Over this past year, Mandy bravely battled her illness. She is survived by her loving husband, Gili, and three children Dror, Brit, and Nir in Haifa, and in England by sisters Jacqui and Carrie and mother Pamela. Mandy is remembered lovingly and will be missed by all Technion FOCUS is published by the Division of Public Affairs and Resource Development who worked with her at Technion, as well as her plethora Technion – Israel Institute of Technology of friends and colleagues worldwide. Haifa 3200004, Israel [email protected] www.focus.technion.ac.il www.youtube.com/Technion http://pard.technion.ac.il Technion Drive start-up Nanosynex, led by Diane Abensur (l), business mentoring, and office space, as well as access CEO, and Michelle Heymann (r), VP of Marketing and to Technion’s research facilities and equipment. VP External Relations and Resource Development: Prof. Boaz Golany Business Development Head, Communications & External Relations: Gil Lainer One of the many startups that has already benefitted Head, Public Affairs: Yvette Gershon “You could say we’re doing alchemy here,” said Jonathan from the Accelerator is Nanosynex, headed by Technion Editor: Polina Brill Mitchell. “We’ve combined a number of components – alumnae (MBA) Diane Abensur and Michelle Heymann. Contributors: Itzhar Vardi, Polina Brill Design: CastroNawy the Israeli mind, institutional and private investors, and of Photo Coordinator: Hilda Favel course Technion and the local staff – and with all this we “You could say we’re doing Photography: Thorsten Jochim, Elad Sarig, will contribute to the welfare of the world.” Danny Shapiro, Shitzu Photography, Rami Shlush, Sharon Tzur, Nitzan Zohar alchemy here” - Jonathan Mitchell NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The seed project is in the process of bringing to market The Technion admits students of any religion, gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, a microfluidic diagnostic test to check bacterial resistance privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded to antibiotics in record time. The biotech innovation is the or made available to students at the school. It does brainchild of Prof. Shulamit Levenberg, Dean of Technion’s not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, race, The Technion DRIVE (Dream, Research, Invent, Venture, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, and doctoral student color, national and ethnic origin in administration