Israel’s Smart Mobility Summit explores the future of smart transportation

On November 8-9, Israel hosted the eighth Prime Minister’s Smart Mobility Summit 2021, a global event of the automotive and transportation sectors. The event drew 5,000 attendees from the smart transportation field, including automakers and top speakers such as MK Merav Michaeli, Minister of Transport and Road Safety, and Orit Farkash Hacohen, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology. This year’s conference focused on automotive and smart transportation industries, such as vehicle electrification, artificial intelligence and big data and their influence on transportation, the transition to Mobility as a Service (MAAS), and more.

Several announcements were made at the conference, including Israel and Hungary’s first scientific-technological partnership and Mobileye’s president, Amnon Shashua, stating that his company will debut a robotaxi (autonomous taxi) in 2022 and expand its operations in this sector by 2024.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said – “Israel’s innovation and ingenuity contribute greatly to the world. If we channel our efforts, our energies and invest in tackling real-life problems, we in Israel can make a huge difference. Israel’s most valuable source of energy is the energy of our people. This is what fuels our innovation and ingenuity. And this is where our greatest contribution to the world can be made.”

“Talented Israelis across the country are developing groundbreaking technologies that are providing solutions to the world’s most urgent mobility challenges. Just in the last five years, the number of smart mobility startups has increased ten-fold in Israel, from 60 companies to 600. Billions of dollars in investment capital have poured in here, and there have been quite a few blockbuster exits and acquisitions.” added Bennett.

During the conference, the Prime Minister’s $1m award for innovation in smart transportation, named after Eric and Sheila Samson, was presented to Prof. Gideon Grader and Prof. Avner Rothschild of the Technion and Dr James Liao of Taiwan, for their research.

The Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, MK Merav Michaeli said – “Smart transportation is clean transportation. Technology is not a goal, but a means of promoting more collaborative, safer, more electric, and less polluting transportation, which reduces gaps and creates opportunities.”

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Farkash Hacohen, commented – “During the last decade, Israel has made smart transportation an integral part of the high-tech industry. More than $25bn have been invested in over 600 Israeli smart transportation companies, some of which have already become unicorns.”

“Since its inception, the State of Israel has given pride of place to science and research. Even today, this investment in talented researchers bears fruit when they represent us with great pride. The Prime Minister’s Office is proud to take part in innovation initiatives that develop science, especially in the areas of fuel substitutes, which are so important in the fight against the climate crisis which is high on our agenda.” said Yair Pines, director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Daniella Gera Margaliot, deputy managing director of the Smart Mobility Initiative, added – “We are prouder than ever of the blue and white industry, which this year too has produced outstanding achievements, in overseas share issues, significant collaborations with giant conglomerates and in deepening the activity in this field that strengthens Israel’s unique position at the forefront of global industry. The Smart Mobility Initiative continues to support the Israeli ecosystem through appropriate regulation and dealing with barriers, as well as through a rich toolbox and support throughout all stages of the value chain, from research to the final product.”

Meanwhile, for the first time, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is participating in the Dubai Airshow, which is taking place from November 14-18.

Read: Israel Aerospace Industries confirms participation at Dubai Airshow 2021

The Israeli aerospace and defence company will be showcasing a variety of its systems across civil aviation, space systems, and special-mission aircraft, among others.