Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheva and leading global aerospace company Boeing announced in recent days the establishment of an aviation and aerospace cybersecurity research center.
According to a joint press statement, “The collaboration will advance proactive cybersecurity research for autonomous, digital and connected aerospace systems. The partnership will develop innovative security architectures, secure communication systems, resilient autonomous platforms, and trusted technologies for future aviation platforms.”
Dr. Brendan Nelson, president of Boeing Global, said partnering with the university meant teaming up with “one of the world’s foremost centers in cybersecurity and advanced engineering,” adding that this “helps us stay at the leading edge of secure aerospace innovation.”
Professor Daniel Chamovitz, president of Ben-Gurion University, added that the joining of forces between academia and a leading international corporation “advances innovation, strengthens the Negev as a leading technological center, and trains the next generation of cybersecurity experts for the benefit of Israeli and global society.”
The cooperation is based on a five-year agreement valued at more than $10 million that will create a research collaboration center.
The Aviation Cybersecurity Center will be located within Ben-Gurion University’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence facilities.
The signing ceremony took place on June 27 and was attended by Boeing Israel’s president, Maj. Gen. (res.) Ido Nehushtan, a former commander of the Israeli Air Force.
“The collaboration between Ben-Gurion University and the Boeing Company will pave the way for Israel’s most advanced technologies and capabilities to be incorporated into future generations of aviation and space systems worldwide,” said Nehushtan.
“Boeing continues to be the main supplier of passenger planes to Israeli airlines, foremost among them EL AL, and a leading supplier of fighter jets, missiles, helicopter gunships, satellites and other advanced military supplies to the IDF,” he continued. “Israeli industries are now leading suppliers to Boeing, and many Israeli systems integrated into Boeing products worldwide generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually.”
