BGU and Rafael Celebrate New R&D Center in the ATP
BGU and Rafael Celebrate New R&D Center in the ATP
May 30, 2019
BGU and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. celebrated the opening of the defense giant’s research and development center at the Ben-Gurion Advanced Technologies Park on May 28.
At the ceremony that included the cutting of a ribbon, BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz commented: “It may be a little bit counterintuitive, geographically speaking, but here in Beer-Sheva we are the center of the world, and Rafael’s decision to place their R&D center here in our high-tech park proves it.
“This is the change in reality that we have dreamed of. Our partnership with Rafael is total, and I am 100% certain that our students will find work here, and will stay in Beer-Sheva to build their adult lives.”
Prof. Chamovitz was joined by Rafael Chief Executive Officer Yoav Har-Even, Chairman Dr. Uzi Landau, Dr. Ran Gozali, executive vice president and head of Rafael’s R&D and Engineering Division, Beer-Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovitz, and Yigal Ono, director of the National Cyber Directorate.
Har-Even said that the center, to be managed by Rotem Yoeli, already employs about 15 researchers, most of whom are from BGU, and added that that number is expected to grow to include several dozen people in the next two years.
“Rafael is opening its doors to BGU graduates,” said Dr. Gozali, who studied electrical engineering at the University. “Who knows? Maybe one day a BGU alumnus will take over from me as the head of R&D at Rafael.”
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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