BIRD Foundation to inject $3.2m. into joint homeland security projects
The joint research effort between the government bodies commenced in 2016, targeting collaborations that both address the homeland security needs of both countries.
By EYTAN HALONThe American and the Israeli national flags can be seen outside the U.S Embassy in Tel Aviv(photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
The Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has awarded $3.2 million in funding to three homeland-security collaborations between American and Israeli companies.The Public Security Ministry and the US Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) selected the homeland-security technology projects. Including access to private-sector funding, the total value of investments will be about $4.8m.The joint research effort between the government bodies commenced in 2016. It targets collaborations that address the homeland-security needs of both countries and offer “significant commercial potential.” Areas of interest include border protection, unmanned aerial systems, fighting cybercrime and securing critical infrastructure.Projects that were awarded funding include the development of a multi-mission drone command and control capability by Tel Aviv-based Blue White Robotics and Brooklyn’s Easy Aerial; the development of an indoor-positioning wearable device for first responders by Emek Hefer-based S.H. Goren Management and 3AM Innovations in Buffalo, New York; and an AI-based analytics video-security solution for remote sites designed by Cawamo in Hod HaSharon and Utah-based LiveView Technologies.Approved projects are eligible for conditional grants of up to $1m. from the BIRD Foundation, which works to promote collaboration between US and Israeli companies in homeland security and other hi-tech fields, including renewable energy, agriculture and electronics.“We are looking forward to working closely with the awardees on some of the toughest challenges facing our mission today,” said Megan Mahle, S&T’s director of industry partnerships.Established by the US and Israeli governments in 1977, the BIRD Foundation has invested more than $350m. in joint development projects, funding up to 50% of a project’s budget, including R&D, initial sales and marketing operations.Funding from the foundation, which does not receive equity or intellectual-property rights from participating companies, is repaid as royalties from sales of commercialized technologies.“The program contributes to both countries, specifically providing the US Department of Homeland Security and the Public Security Ministry with opportunities to develop technologies that can solve current challenges,” Public Security Ministry chief scientist Gad Frishman said. “The approved projects are a result of a comprehensive selection and review process that focuses on innovation, operational needs and the ability to implement the technologies developed.”
