Israel is lauded as the Startup Nation, with the highest concentration of high-tech companies outside Silicon Valley. The Technion has a central role in attaining and maintaining that title. In addition to founding countless startup companies, Technion faculty and graduates are responsible for key innovations and technological breakthroughs that have made the Technion a world leader in applied research.
With the goal of continuing to foster this fruitful spirit of ingenuity, The Mehoudar Center for Inventors – which was dedicated during our June 2022 Board of Governors annual meeting – will offer students an opportunity to transform their creative ideas and innovations into models and prototypes using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. The Center is named after Technion alumnus and honorary doctor Raphael Mehoudar, a pioneer of drip irrigation technologies, who revolutionized agriculture worldwide.
The Center is named after Technion alumnus and honorary doctor Raphael Mehoudar, a pioneer of drip irrigation technologies , who revolutionized agriculture worldwide.
Back to the ‘workshop’
The Mehoudar Center for Inventors’ hands-on approach will provide students with access to a productive space to explore and test their ideas and research before taking them to scale, which any successful entrepreneur knows is one of the secrets to success. Students from all faculties will be able to use the facility’s workshops for their projects.
Multidisciplinary research will be highly encouraged. The Center’s advanced new equipment will include a range of engineering tools and resources for designing, testing, and implementing models in optics, mechatronics, and mechanics. Students will have access to CAD/CAM systems; wood, metal and plastic workshops; a rapid prototyping lab; an electronics lab to facilitate designs involving mechanical, electrical, telecommunication, control and computer engineering; 3D printing, laser cutting and water-jet cutting.
Masters and apprentices
Another unique aspect of the Center will be its technical staff, or the “masters” to the student “apprentices.” The technical staff will have the important job of building and testing student designs, ensuring safety procedures, and supporting the implementation of their projects. Students will have the opportunity to join the technical staff with proper training. The Center will also serve as a hub for the exchange of ideas between students, faculty, and the local community that will be able to visit the Center for unique educational days and exhibits of the student projects created at the Center.
In fact, thanks to the Center’s size – approximately 200 square meters on the lower floor of the Danciger Building near the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering – the general public will be encouraged to take part in activities, workshops and innovation competitions.
As the next chapter in realizing the Technion’s spirit of innovation, the Mehoudar Center for Inventors will be an inspiring place for both current and future creators to turn their inventions into practical technologies.
