Tel Aviv University To Establish First Blockchain Research Institute

Entrepreneur Moshe Hogeg, the co-founder and CEO of Blockchain company Sirin Labs, has joined forces with Tel Aviv University to establish the first institute for applied Blockchain research in Israel. Dubbed the Hogeg Institute for Blockchain Applications, the institution will be established in the framework of the Coller School of Management at the university.

Hogeg has donated NIS 7 million ($1.9 million) to open the facility. It’s one of only a handful of institutions of its kind worldwide, which “positions Tel Aviv University alongside comparable institutes at leading universities such as Stanford and Columbia,” according to a university statement.

The institute also aims “to promote research, instruction, and dissemination of knowledge regarding Blockchain technology applications.” The goal is to advance knowledge and develop approaches to implement Blockchain technologies in areas of business, healthcare, law, and government.

The facility will support multidisciplinary studies that will see TAU researchers collaborate with global industry leaders and academics. It will also run courses at the master’s level and host conferences, training the next generation of entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals in the field.

“The establishment of this institute will facilitate in-depth research and contribute to accelerating technological development and its application in most areas of our lives for the benefit of entrepreneurs and businesses in Israel and worldwide,” Hogeg said at a signing ceremony.

Prof. Joseph Klafter, TAU President, welcomed the institute by saying it “is yet another aspect of the far-reaching activity of Tel Aviv University, which is one of the leading universities in research, technology and entrepreneurship. The institute will create a framework for promoting innovative research and applications in this emerging field that could have far-reaching ramifications

Prof. Dan Amiram, Associate Dean of the School of Management has been appointed as Head the institute, while Dr. Jacob Mendel will serve as its Director.

Blockchain is the technology that enables secure online business transactions with verification between parties, without a trusted management entity. The management is replaced by a decentralized data structure, called “blocks,” so that the content can’t be changed without proper blockchain.

Hogeg’s company Sirin Labs recently announced it has chosen FIH Mobile (Foxconn International Holding) to manufacture its Finney smartphone, considered to be the first Blockchain-enabled smartphone in the world.