JERUSALEM, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel has launched a 40-million-shekel (10.76-million-U.S. dollar) plan to promote disruptive technologies for global challenges, the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) said on Thursday.
Disruptive technologies are new innovative products, services, or ways of doing things that significantly alter existing markets, industries, or business models.
The new plan aims to foster collaboration between technology companies and relevant ministries to develop disruptive technologies in the three sectors of autonomous home delivery, bio-convergence health technology, and school and campus security.
Regarding autonomous home delivery, the plan will focus on the "last mile", or the final leg, which is considered the most expensive segment of the supply chain that contributes to urban traffic congestion, parking trouble, and air pollution.
To tackle these issues, the plan will support delivery tech companies that develop and demonstrate innovative door-to-door delivery.
In the area of bio-convergence health technology, which integrates biology-based techs with other fields such as engineering, computers, physics and math, the plan aims to promote organoid-based systems for diagnostics and treatment, AI-based systems for diagnostics and personalized medicine, 3D printing of tissue and organs, innovative biosensors, and more.
In the area of school and campus security, the plan aims to advance the development of technology integration, threat detection systems, communication and emergency response, access control, surveillance and monitoring and student safety apps.
"We are focusing on areas that have tremendous growth potential, and in which Israeli tech companies have a relative advantage as well as the possibility of leading innovative products' development that will change the world," said IIA CEO Dror Bin. ■
