The BIRD Foundation will invest $ 6.3 million in 7 American - Israeli projects

The BIRD Foundation, the US-based bi-national research and development fund, has approved $ 6.3 million worth of investments in seven joint ventures between Israeli and American companies. the private sector will invest money in the seven project and all together will the investment amount to $ 15 million.
The BIRD Foundation works to encourage cooperation between Israeli and American companies in various fields of technology in order to develop a joint product. In addition to granting conditional grants of up to $ 1 million for an approved project, the fund assists companies in locating and connecting with a potential strategic partner. The projects submitted to the BIRD Foundation are scrutinized by Israeli examiners on behalf of the Innovation Authority (formerly the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Economics and Industry) and American researchers from the National Institute of Technology and Standards (NIST).
 The seven projects approved at the Board of Directors' meeting are added to the 967 projects that the Foundation invested during its 41 years of activity. These projects, with an investment of $ 350 million, have yielded direct and indirect sales of more than $ 10 billion to date.
 
Details of the approved projects:
 
• The Israeli ARTSys360 and the American ECSI International will cooperate to develop a multi-dimensional 360-sensor system against UAVs.
 
• Israel's Correlor Data Science Intelligence and Advanced Energy will collaborate to develop an advanced production optimization platform for the semiconductor and thin film industries based on data collection, analysis, and artificial intelligence applications.
 
• The Israeli Diamond Valley and the American Ion Beam Milling will collaborate to develop heat exchangers for high-power applications.
 
• American DouxMatok and American Sugar Refining will collaborate to develop an improved sense of taste in sugar-reduced foods.
 
• Manam Applications and the American AviSight will collaborate to develop a system for unmanned aerial surveillance of bridges and their remote diagnosis.
 
• Oxitone Medical and Cigna Corporation will collaborate to develop continuous digital control capability to prevent workplace stress.
 
• Israeli Pixelot and American HockeyTech will collaborate to develop an advanced remote production system of multi-angle videos automatically for ice hockey.
 
Dr. Walter Copan, US Undersecretary of Trade and Technology, said: "More than 40 years after its inception, the BIRD Foundation has been a pillar of the R & D cooperation between the United States and Israel. We are proud that, on behalf of the United States Government, the National Institute of Technology and Standards (NIST) leads the Board of Governors of the Fund and provides the technical expertise required to evaluate and select projects, NIST for the promotion of innovation and industrial competitiveness, and we will continue to work closely with our Israeli colleagues for sustainable excellence and mutual benefit. "

Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, CEO of the BIRD Foundation, said: "The projects chosen are a great demonstration of how the BIRD Foundation achieves its goals of supporting innovation and cooperation between Israeli and American companies, both large and small, including in growing fields with economic potential and social impact."