Press Release From 2015

Research done at the Samuel Neaman Institute for National Policy Research, Technion, reveals that the investment in creating human capital at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology yields annual social rates of return of between 76 per cent and 197 per cent, at least, and in absolute (dollar) terms, between $35 billion and $60 billion dollars, over the 50-year working lifetime of a graduating class. These findings were published in research done by Prof. Amnon Frenkel and Prof. (emer.) Shlomo Maital, at the S. Neaman Institute, and show that investment in human capital at Technion, to educate students in science and technology, yields exceptionally high social rates of return to the Israel economy, without risk.  These findings show that government investment in Technion science and technology students has proven itself worthwhile, since the return on these investments are higher than most other investments and are without risk (since productive engineers and scientists always emerge as a result).

A new study by Samuel Neaman Institute for National Policy indicates an alarming trend regarding the Iranian progress in all the fields of science, technology and research. Experts warn: "Urgent action is needed to  maintain Israeli advantage over Iran"

Paris conference on climate change opened yesterday with fanfare. 40 thousand participants, including Prof. Ofira Ayalon from Samuel Neaman Institute, from 195 countries, know that this is perhaps the last opportunity for global mobilization for the struggle against climate change. Paris Conference 2015: all of the questions and answers.

Prof. Ayalon said that the expenditures of the "Maintenance of Cleanliness Fund"  were not invested properly. Instead of investing money in source separation, the funds should have been used for waste treatment facilities.

Prof. Grossman spoke at the third Galilee national natural resources management conference, which took place at Western Galilee College. Alongside with Prof. Ofira Ayalon and professor emeritus Aviv Rosen, Technion wind energy expert.

National Entrepreneurship Competition for students is being won by Peekaboo Grop from the Technion, which developed a technology for sterile and non-invasive collecting urine form female infants.

You probably haven’t heard about Oliver Lowry, but he is the researcher who signed the most cited study in history, and it surprising for hi, to - "It's not a great study", he admitted. So how do you rank articles and universities, which cited more than others - and where in all this are the Israelis.

“Between (MACHA”R) Tomorrow and Today”: This is the Name of a Special Report Published recently by SNI.

Another step of advancing the hasty construction: beaches, nature reserves and avenues will be considered as "open public space'' and deducted from the designers and developers debts. Other actions: a synagogue in school and kindergarten in mall.

They conduct researches, consolidate position papers, fighting for transparency and whisper in the ears of the Knesset members. Social organizations often influence the Israeli public arena more than the elected representatives themselves.

A research conducted by SNI team and Ecofinance analyses benefits of using the Carmel Tunnels.

Prof. Rachelle Alterman from the Technion believes strongly in the program of Finance Minister Kahlon, but regrets the unnecessary conditions imposed, whereby residents will not be allowed to sell their apartments for five years.

What is the most favorite academic field among the ultra-orthodox students? And what is the most favorite subject among the ultra-orthodox women?

And which one is the only orthodox academic framework that develops at a satisfactory rate? And how many ultra-orthodox students are there  actually? .

A special report published this week by SNI, reveals some fascinating data on the ultra-orthodox academic world.

An economic study conducted assessed the benefits (in terms of time and fuel savings and reduction in air pollution and noise) of traveling within the Carmel tunnels compared to other routes in the city of Haifa.

10,000 Ultra-orthodox students have studied in academic institutions in 2014 - most of them at colleges with specialized facilities;

Of these, 60% were women, while the proportion of men is declining. According to the authors, it is not clear if the labor market is prepared for the absorption of 1,800 Ultra-orthodox with an academic degree who would graduate soon.

According to Prof. Rachelle Alterman from the Technion the transfer of the National Planning Administration to the Ministry of Finance, approved by the Knesset yesterday, is not necessarily negative, and may actually benefit the planning system. Opposition attacks: "The planning system will now look at everything through a single  prism – financial gains"

Life and Environment, the umbrella organization of green NGOs,  gave the title to the oil line company and criticized its secret operations and ignoring of the state comptroller's report. SNI report analyzing the costs of the oil spill is included in the assessment.

Interview with Dr. Daphne Getz, the head of the Center for Policy of Science, Technology and Innovation, by Ophir Cafri.

Dr. Getz is a Senior Research Fellow in the SNI at the Technion.

Dr. Gez is also the Manager of the Data Center of SNI.

Unlike the situation with men, women's salaries in the high-tech industry aren't significantly higher than the average wage.

New data reveal: the high-tech is more discriminating between men and women than other industries

In a letter to the ministers of finance, infrastructure and environmental protection, the Association president, Shraga Brosh, is calling to apply an exemption from excise on biodiesel for fixed and known in advance number of years, in a way to enable the certainty and the necessary economic horizon for investors in the field.

Researchers from the SNI and ADALYA consulting have calculated, using a model of the US EPA, the cost of the fuel leak damage in Evrona. The result, very far from the government's assessment, is about half a billion NIS.

What can Israel learn from Norway about natural gas and could the high-tech sector be the engine of this industry?

In electric power generation using high temperatures (typically by burning fuels), a large portion of the heat is rejected at a lower temperature.

In major power plants the residual heat is utilized for the production of steam, which is then used to produce additional electric power (Combined Cycle) or, if the temperature of this residual heat is too low, having a low thermodynamic value, it is rejected into the sea or to the air near the power plant. In contrast, a private power plant (producing both electricity and thermal power), which is a consumer of both heat and electricity, can make use of the residual heat and substantially increase the overall energy efficiency of the primary heat source.

Cogeneration is not only in the interest of the private producer\consumer, but also for the national economy, and the state encourages such projects.

The Samuel Neaman Institute Energy Forum calls to organize the regulation and encourage the use of the residual heat in co-generation

Dehydration of the Dead Sea region is destructive and erases from the map a beautiful natural worldwide treasure.

Sinkholes are broken open, leading tourist sites are blocked by fences and unique animals do not understand where their springs disappeared.

Even the Two Seas Canal project, as it turns out, is not really on the agenda.

A 2007 SNI report call for action.

The Environmental Committee of the Council of Binyamina, which includes Prof. Ofira Ayalon, claims that earlier railway irregularities have not been settled before granting approval for the project, views and landscape arrangement that has not been carried out and a discrimination claim not on a professional background of various authorities, such as Haifa. The matter was submitted to be discussed at the Supreme Court this coming June.

The number of ultra-Orthodox in this sector is indeed rising, but barriers from both sides are preventing many people from integrating into it. The new established government and the industry will have to generate a program that will solve the situation.  According to reports by the Samuel Neaman Institute, there are 611 U-O students graduating, annually, from technological faculties – which, in turn, puts them on only 5% of this industry.

According to a study conducted at the University of Haifa and the Technion the Israeli public feels unprepared for an earthquake. Most of the public believes the government is responsible for the readiness and even needs to fund all costs for National Outline Plan 38.

The issue of the Ultra-Orthodox sector integration in the labor market, the army and Israeli society has been discussed countless times. Political figures from all sides cut dividends dealing with the subject and place each time a higher standard in the noisy dispute. However, the issue of integrating the ultra-Orthodox in the Academy headlines slightly less.

According to SNI’s study , dated January 2013, each year, only about 250-300 students from the  Ultra-Orthodox sector finish their bachelor's degree in academic fields such as engineering, computer science or exact sciences.

A new SNI report finds that the scope of the material studied for matriculation exam Physics has been reduced, while, at the same time, the number of students examinees in physics at the level of 5 units has been moderately decreased.