Mekorot, Igudan launch national water innovation center
NIS 15M investment to boost climate research, AI testing, and green energy solutions.
Igudan and Mekorot inaugurated this week a national water research and innovation center, which will be established at the Shafdan site in western Rishon Lezion. The new center will be established as part of Igudan's technological incubator, within which the companies will create international collaborations and academic research. According to estimates, Mekorot will invest up to NIS 15 million in order to promote future programs that will respond to the company's needs.
Mekorot has already made several investments in startups in the field of water treatment, and the new facility will serve as a site for them to test products that are under development. Among other things, experiments will be carried out at the site in the field of data management, cyber defenses of infrastructure, energy consumption and infrastructure mapping using AI models, with the aim of offering their solutions to foreign countries in the future.
The center, which is scheduled to open in 2026, will also promote research on how to tackle climate change. As part of this effort, the site will include laboratories, training rooms, and dedicated spaces for researchers from academia and industry. The center will feature integrated academic and professional programs focused on the intelligent use of surface runoff, with a dual purpose: developing solutions for urban flooding and advancing the production of biogas for electricity generation, an area that remains underdeveloped in Israel despite the availability of raw materials and its potential for green energy production.
