First Japanese donation
Japanese entrepreneur Dr. Hiroshi Fujiwara has announced a donation of $4 million to the Technion’s Cyber Security Research Center. “Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a new stage in our relationship with Japan,” said Professor Boaz Golany, Vice President for External Relations & Resource Development at Technion. “Japan and Israel share many similarities, as both are highly developed countries that rely heavily on technology as an economic booster. We strongly believe that today’s new pledge will enable us to better prepare ourselves to some of the cyber challenges both countries face at the present time and even more so in the future.”
Dr. Fujiwara, an entrepreneur and a successful businessman, acquired professional experience in global companies, including IBM and Hitachi, and is the founder and president of Tokyo-based firms BroadBand Tower (BBTower) and Internet Research Institute (IRI). Dr. Fujiwara first visited Israel and Technion in 2016 at the initiative of Mr. Kanji Ishizumi, President of Technion Japan (the Technion’s friends association in the country). During his visit, he met with Technion President, Professor Peretz Lavie as well as researchers and faculty. He said: “My involvement is intended to create the infrastructure for such cooperation with the hope that it will lead to commercialization of technologies that will benefit our two countries.”
The Cyber Security Research Center was opened at the Technion in April 2016 in cooperation with the Israeli National Cyber Bureau. “Israel and Technion in particular, are leaders in maintaining the country’s ability to withstand cyber threats. Yet to continue to do this we must promote interdisciplinary research that relies on the capabilities of the Technion. This new gift will enable us to do exactly that, as it will allow faculty members from various disciplines to continue and investigate the protection of cyberspace,” said Prof. Eli Biham, head of the Center.