Israel owes so much to the brilliance of the Technion

With so many accolades across a variety of disciplines, the Technion's sheer brilliance can sometimes be overwhelming. That’s why, given the current conflict in Israel, I thought it prudent to focus on the vital role the Israel Institute of Technology has always played in the country’s defence systems, ensuring its safe and secure future.

Established a quarter of a century before Israel became an independent nation, the Technion has been inexorably linked to the country’s security since its inception.

Of course, the most obvious examples are those alumni who continue to lead teams that develop missile defence systems, underground tunnel detection devices, drone technology that allows ground troops to survey potentially dangerous areas from a safe distance and cyber attack deterrents.

Take the Iron Dome, for example. One of Israel’s most remarkable defence systems, with a 90 per cent success rate, the Technion invention - that assesses and identifies shell threats between 2.5 miles to 45 miles and destroys them in 15 seconds - has not only saved thousands upon thousands of lives but enables protection that allows Israelis to live with some degree of normalcy. It is still, unfortunately, being put to good use while the country is at war and will probably always be a backbone of the state’s defence as long as we are surrounded by people who wish for our demise.

The groundbreaking invention was the brainchild of Technion alumnus Chanoch Levin, who led a team made up of Israel’s 350 best engineers at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems - the core members all of whom were also Technion alums - following a massive bombardment of rockets by Hezbollah in 2006.

The Arrow Antimissile, developed by Technion alumnus Dov Raviv, is another excellent example. The low-range antimissile system was first tested in 1990 and, following the Gulf War in 1991, was further developed. There have - to date - been three iterations of the system, the most recent being in 2008 by another team of Technion graduates led by Inbal Kreiss, which is capable of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear, chemical and biological warheads as far as 1,500 miles away, and was first used in November 2023 in response to the barrage of rockets sent by Iran-backed Houthis.

David’s Sling and Iron Beam - Israel’s newest defence systems - were also both developed at Rafael and involved teams of Technion graduates. With coverage three times greater than the Iron Dome, David’s Sling - which became operational in 2017 and has been used in the Israel-Hamas war - can identify and destroy airborne threats from 25 to 190 miles away. Iron Beam is still under development but will use a high-energy laser interceptor, not missiles, to destroy targets.

But it goes deeper than this, too. After all, defence is only ever as good as the aerospace, electrical and mechanical engineering that helps support and develop it; the vehicles driven by the IDF just one example, Simplex 3D, a planning platform founded by Technion alumnus Avi Aflalo that uses real-time data and 3D models for emergency and security forces to manoeuvre in sensitive operations another, and these are all enabled by an education at the university.

In short, countless graduates from a wide range of disciplines offered by the university are responsible for almost every line of defence the country uses.

Further, the stability of a country’s role in securing its future can also be demonstrated by its roots, and in the Technion’s case, this is no different. Proving that the institution - already a flourishing academy by the time World War II broke out in 1939 - has always had defence at its core, it set up workshops to help repair and supply spare parts for British ships damaged at sea. Of course, this was the precursor to eventual independence enabled by Britain in 1948.

And so, it has almost always been inevitable that the Technion would be synonymous with both Israel's establishment and perseverance over 100 years. When it comes to fighting for survival- day in, day out – only the best will do for our tiny yet mighty country. Thank goodness we have such an institution behind us.

Alan Aziz is CEO of Technion UK