US-Israel Foundation To Invest Over $6M In 7 New Joint Projects

June 28, 2018 | The Israel-US Binational Research and Development (Bird) Foundation announced this week that it will invest $6.3 million in seven new joint projects between Israeli and American companies in the fields of medical devices, sports tech, and drone security systems.

The foundation, which was created in 1977 to foster collaboration between Israeli and American industries, said that the projects will also have access to private sector funding, which will bring the total amount of all projects to approximately $19 million.

The organization works with all companies to identify strategic partners.  The projects are reviewed by evaluators from the Israel Innovation Authority and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The seven joint projects are as follows:

– Israeli radar systems manufacturer ARTsys360 and the New Jersey-based security system supplier ECSI International will develop a 3D-360 multi-sensor counter-UAV / Drone system.

– Jerusalem-based predictive analytics company Correlor Data Science Intelligence will partner with Colorado-based power solutions firm Advanced Energy to develop a Connected Power (IIoT) Data System with analytic and machine learning applications geared for semiconductor and thin-film manufacturing markets.

– Israel’s Diamond Valley will team up with New Hampshire’s Ion Beam Milling to develop heat spreaders for high power applications.

– Tel Aviv flavor company DouxMatok and Florida’s American Sugar Refining will develop improved flavor delivery for sugar reduction in food.

– Caesarea software solutions firm Manam Applications and Las Vegas drone services company AviSight will develop tech for unmanned aerial system bridge survey and remote analysis.

– Israeli wearable medical device company Oxitone Medical will partner with Connecticut’s Cigna Corporation to develop a digital continuous care platform.

– Petach Tikva sports filming Pixellot and Massachusetts-based sports technologies firm HockeyTech will partner to develop a next-generation multi-angle, automatic remote system for ice hockey game production.

“The US is one of Israel’s major partner for innovation. We are proud that our collaboration with the BIRD Foundation has seen such spectacular successes over the decades which resulted in ground-breaking technological innovations offered by both Israeli and U.S recipients of the grant,” said Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority and co-Chairman of BIRD’s Board of Governors, in a press statement. “We are confident their innovative solutions in the varying fields will prove vital for the population worldwide.

He added that the foundation is “calling on additional companies to submit their innovations for this program and be instrumental in finding the solution that will provide cutting-edge solutions to the global challenges we are all facing.”

Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, executive director of the BIRD Foundation, noted that the selected projects are “an excellent example of how the BIRD Foundation accomplishes its mission to support joint innovation that includes US and Israeli companies, both large and small, in emerging sectors that bring potential economic and social contribution.”

“After more than 40 years since inception, the BIRD Foundation has become a pillar of US-Israel research and development cooperation. We are proud that on behalf of the United States, NIST provides leadership at the Foundation’s Board of Governors, as well as the technical expertise required to evaluate and select projects, ” said Dr. Walter Copan, undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology at the US Department of Commerce, “Moreover, there is much synergy between the BIRD Foundation and NIST’s mission to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness. We will continue working closely with our Israeli counterparts for sustainable excellence and mutual benefit.”

The seven projects approved by the Board of Governors are the latest of 967 projects which the BIRD Foundation has approved for funding during its 41-year history. BIRD’s total investment in joint projects has been approximately $350 million to date. This has generated direct and indirect sales of over $10 billion, the foundation says.