As the challenges facing humanity evolve, the need to enrich our knowledge and technology is becoming more pressing. Expediting scientific breakthroughs and innovation depends on the world’s ability to boost collaborations. “The experience and expertise we have gained from 15 years of breaking down silos and creating a common language between BINA’s diverse faculty members and technical research teams as well as with entrepreneurs of the industry through numerous joint projects are BINA’s added value in this national and global effort, now being translated into growth in international collaborations,” says Dr. Yosef Talyosef. BINA’s first international cooperation agreement was signed with the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems seven years ago. “Through seed grants, joint workshops and mutual visits, we encouraged BINA’s faculty to form contacts with their Chinese colleagues and set up initial research projects.” According to Dr. Talyosef, many of the small collaborations facilitated by this effort developed into substantial proposals that received funding from the Israel-China Joint Research Foundation (ISF-NSFC). “Following this success, we signed a five-year second agreement, just before the COVID-19 outbreak.” International connections provide researchers with the necessary opportunities to expand their research, participate in student exchange programs and gain access to diversified expertise and facilities. “We have built one such mutually beneficial partnership with the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Portugal.” Like CERN in Switzerland, INL is an immense European Union research institute with extensive infrastructure. It enables both BINA’s researchers and industry customers to use its vast clean rooms or proceed from the initial development stages at BINA to small production-line processes at INL. Moreover, this fruitful cooperation has opened the way to BINA’s participation in significant projects whose focus is driven by policy makers and that involve many European entities. Stand Together as One —We’ll Make a Brighter Day In recent years, a global shift has moved bioconvergence, renewable energy and sustainability to the forefront of international efforts to secure humanity’s future. Massive investments are directed toward advancing science and innovation through trans-sectorial and comprehensive R&D consortia. “Aware of our capabilities, INL suggested that BINA join eight European partners in a bioconvergence proposal to develop integrated photonics.” Prof. Dror Fixler, BINA’s head and an expert in electrooptics and photonics, and his partners—physicists, engineers, physicians and production companies—aim to develop small, energy-efficient and highly reliable patient monitoring medical devices. The same multidisciplinary collaboration is essential in the struggle against global warming. BINA and BIU are exceptionally strong in the fields of energy and sustainability. To utilize this advantage, Prof. Fixler, Dr. Talyosef and Dr. Hamutal Engel, BINA’s projects unit manager, have assembled experts in these fields from every relevant faculty and have initiated cooperation with the Palacký University Olomouc (UP), the Czech Republic. “We have signed an agreement and submitted to the European Union a proposal for a $20 million joint project that will focus on developing energy solutions for agricultural needs. Our group intends to develop solar panels that can be positioned above fields. Although these panels use sunlight to provide solar energy, they do not block the light from reaching the crops, thus allowing them to grow.” Dr. Talyosef adds that the joint group will also take part in developing technology that converts CO2 emissions into clean energy. BINA’s physicists, who are experts in renewable energy solutions, together with BIU’s geography and earth science professors and its experts in law and regulation who have unique expertise in sustainability visited the Czech Republic recently to enhance work relations and locate more such promising partnerships. Maintaining Israel’s Technological Superiority 10
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