Apple To Open New R&D Center in Israel

Apple is to open its third R&D center in Israel, to develop processors for Mac computers.

The company already employs around 2,000 workers in research and development at sites in Herzliya and Haifa.

It also has a smaller R&D center in Rawabi, in the Palestinian Authority, which employs 60 engineers.

News of the new center, in Jerusalem, came via a Hebrew language LinkedIn post by a recruiter at Apple.

He said (in translation): “A little more good news from us… I’m happy to share that we, Apple, are opening a new development site – in Jerusalem!

“I personally am already recruiting engineers for the fields of hardware verification and chip development.

“The site will take part in the flagship projects that we are leading from Israel, first and foremost the development of future processors for the Mac.”

Apple’s teams in Israel work on the M1 family of chips for desktops and laptops, the depth-sensing camera used for Face ID and other technology.

The Rawabi R&D center has been operating under the radar since 2018 and helping to further the company’s technological goals. The announcement of the Palestinian center came after a meeting between Apple SVP Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji – the most senior Israeli Apple official – and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Following the announcement, the firm plans to grow the Palestinian site and continue to recruit Palestinian engineering talent.