The Magnet Committee of the TMT approved the continuation of the activities of three associations

"The continuity in the associations of the Magnet program will make it possible to focus on long-term R&D issues, while building technological specialization groups in the various fields"

The Magnet Committee, headed by the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Meteorology, Dr. Eli Ofer, approved the continuation of the activities of 3 associations, with a total budget of NIS 55 million. The Magnet Conglomerate is an organization of industrial companies and research groups from academia and other research bodies, working together to develop generic technologies that will be used as building blocks for the development of new products in a few years.

Magnet's director, Ilan Peled, said that in 2008, 13 associations were operating in various technological fields, including the three associations whose continued activity was approved. The continuation of the activities of these associations was planned in the annual work plan, and the continuation of their budgeting is a result of their achievements so far, on the way to achieving the important goals and fulfilling the vision approved at the beginning of their journey.

Maged IMG4 focuses on imaging machines for process control, which can function efficiently and accurately without the need for expert supervision, and on directions and frequent calibrations of the machine. This bundle develops the building blocks for a new generation of process control machines. The association has completed three years of activity, in which its members achieved a leap forward in creating a new concept, which allows for the integration of information from outside and inside the imaging machine, and to improve performance and characterize results automatically. In order to complete the association's vision and reach achievements that allow operation as a continuous system of the machines, with a minimum time for initialization, updating and regular maintenance, the association was approved for two additional years of activity.
The members of the association are: Orbotech, KLA, Applied Materials, Nova, Nanometrics (formerly Tabat), Cognitens, ASI, and the research institutions: Ben-Gurion University and the Technion. The budget for the current year is about NIS 20 million.

Maged MIM focuses on solving the problem of biofilm formation on the surfaces of the water treatment and transmission systems, as a step in dealing with the problem of water shortage in large areas of the world. The problem is manifested mainly in systems that use alternative water sources, especially the use of desalinated water (sea water, brackish water) as well as in water sources built on reservoir water and sewage water (sewage water), in which microorganisms develop that clog the filter openings and pumps, and even damage the piping.
The members of the association belonging to the water industries in the State of Israel, active in the global water market, joined together in order to develop technologies for predicting, controlling, suppressing and removing biofouling.
The association has finished the first year of activity, in which the main effort was invested in preparing the research infrastructures in industry and academia, so that the issue can be addressed with a wide range of solutions, with those that are successfully completed being used by all members of the association.
The members of the association are: Mekorot, GES, Amiad, B.G. Polymers, bromine compounds, Natafim, BPT, Atlantium and Tel. As you can see, there is a unique mix of companies developing products in the fields of materials, filtration, transmission, desalination, disinfection and membrane production, alongside companies for planning and water supply.
The academy at Maged includes researchers from most of the research institutions in Israel, the Hebrew University, Bar Ilan University, the Technion, the Sea and Lakes Research Institute - Kinneret Directorate, Ben-Gurion University, and Tel Aviv University. Academic research provides the necessary complement to companies in the fields of biology and chemistry, and the collaboration between academia and industry is critical to the association's ability to achieve its goals. The approved budget for the second year is NIS 18 million.

Maged "Alpha" focuses on the issue of power, which is a stumbling block in all new designs of electronic components, and in a broad strategic view, control over the technologies related to innovative low power components is extremely important as a national asset in the State of Israel. Lowering the power of a component requires treatment both in the phase when the component is active, and requires energy to activate it, and in the standby phase where there are unwanted leakage currents.

The association finished its first year of activity, at the end of which it doubled the number of its members, in companies that found interest in the association's vision and came to the realization that the issue is critical for them. The industrial members of the association are: Applied of Tirals, Zoran, Tower, Altair, Mellanox, Siva and Comsys, and researchers from the Technion and Ben-Gurion University. The association's budget for this year is approximately NIS 17 million.

Dr. Ofer, the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Science and Technology, noted that the continuity of the Magnat program's associations is one of its cornerstones, and allows for a focus on long-term R&D issues, while building technological specialization groups in various fields, and providing the ability to meet the planned goals, thus promoting the Israeli industry to be more competitive in the international markets. The three associations whose continuation of activity has been approved represent a variety of industries from technological fields and different market characteristics, and represent the versatility of the activities of the Ministry of Education in general and Magnat in particular.