The Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI) was established in 2005 as a joint venture of the Russell Berrie Fund and the Israeli Government, through the National Infrastructures for the R&D Forum (TELEM), INNI and the Technion. The Institute’s vision is to position the Technion and Israel at the forefront of global R&D in the field of nanotechnology.
Strengthening the ties with Israeli industry and the transfer of technology developed at the Technion to the industry is a major target of RBNI. The Institute has invested heavily in the establishment and upgrading of ten major infrastructure centers in the various faculties at the Technion. The use of infrastructure equipment is open to researchers from the academe and industry in Israel, and a large number of universities and industrial companies use the equipment purchased with the support of RBNI.
As part of the effort of RBNI to improve cooperation between the major infrastructure centers in nanotechnology at the Technion and industrial companies, the Samuel Neaman Institute was asked by RBNI to conduct a study that would help them to understand better the needs of the industry regarding the use of nanotechnology infrastructure centers at the Technion, and what model of cooperation between the Technion and the industry best suits the needs and interests of both these organizations.
Some of the suggestions and requests elicited during the assessment conducted by the Samuel Neaman Institute have already been successfully implemented.
A detailed report of the study was delivered to RBNI. The report includes a list of companies that responded to the questionnaire and their characteristics, and a summary of the feedback given by the companies about each of the research infrastructures, on various parameters related to the use of these infrastructure by the industry.
The needs and issues that are important to companies that have potential for cooperation with the Technion Nanoscience infrastructure centers were summarized, and RBNI management uses this information in order to reach these companies and interest them in cooperation and in the use of the infrastructures.
