TAU, IAF Launch Center To Advance Research On Air And Space Power

Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the Israeli Air Force announced on Thursday that they have come together to establish a joint center to “harness the world of civilian research and knowledge to advance various areas related to policymaking and strategic thinking on issues of air and space.”

The new Air and Space Power Center at TAU, dubbed Elrom Center, is said to be the first of its kind in Israel.

At the opening ceremony for the center at TAU, led by TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat and with Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin present, the two groups signed a joint document emphasizing that “a framework has been formed for multidisciplinary research promoting theoretical and practical knowledge on air and space power.”

The new Center “adds one more layer to TAU’s vision of advancing groundbreaking multidisciplinary research that brings together the university’s finest researchers, the hi-tech industry, and the community,” the joint announcement said.

The Center joins several other multidisciplinary centers established at TAU over the past year, including the Center for Combating Pandemics, the Center for Climate Change Action, the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, and the Center for Aging.

The new Center will be led by Prof. Eviatar Matania of the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center, who has real-world experience as the founder and former Head of the Israel National Cyber Bureau.

“Ben Gurion’s vision, and his understanding that ‘the air is a new kingdom we must conquer’, has become a reality. But we must not rest on our laurels. Only in-depth investigation of ongoing operations will keep us sharp and ready. Yet as we look toward the coming decades, we need more than excellent inquiry. We must expand our activities into the academic arena, to include research methods developed in Israeli academia, at Tel Aviv University. We must set in motion both military and civilian research on air and space power, that will open new horizons to which we may aspire,” said Israeli Air Force Commander, Aluf Amikam Norkin.