iSAF Launched at Technion

The Israeli Sustainable Aviation Fuel Knowledge Center (iSAF) was inaugurated at the Technion, supported by the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, and in partnership with Boeing, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer. The center marks a significant step towards producing sustainable fuels for the aviation sector.

The center aims to lead Israel toward its 2030 goals, which focus on developing technologies for the local production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and prepare for 2050, when international regulations will mandate the exclusive use of SAF.

Dr. Alon Grinberg Dana

Led by experts from the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering, including Center Director Dr. Alon Grinberg Dana and Center Manager Ido Lieberman, the center includes 14 researchers from the Technion, Bar-Ilan University, and Ben-Gurion University. The center is supported by teams from the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry at the Technion, the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion, the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the Technion, the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Technion, the Faculty of Material Science at the Technion, The Faculty of Chemistry at Bar-Ilan University, and the Faculties of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Ben-Gurion University.

The center’s establishment is part of the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology’s efforts to promote applied research that bridges government, academia, and industry, aimed at developing economically viable SAF. The ministry issued a call for proposals to establish a national knowledge center to consolidate expertise and research infrastructure accessible to all SAF researchers in Israel.

The Technion, selected to lead the initiative, will collaborate closely with Boeing’s global research center. Additionally, the center will contribute to training the next generation of scientists and engineers through a “Doctoral Network” and organize annual events, including national conferences, professional workshops, and hackathons.

The center will operate with five primary goals:
1. Developing a national research strategy for alternative aviation fuels.
2. Creating world-class advanced research infrastructure.
3. Fostering scientific and engineering leadership while training the next generation of scientists in the field.
4. Encouraging Israeli and international collaborations between academia and industry.
5. Accumulating and disseminating knowledge to researchers, the public, and decision-makers.

The center is guided by a steering committee comprising representatives from each participating university. The committee is chaired by Prof. Dan Major of Bar-Ilan University and includes Dr. Avi Raveh (representing the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology), Mr. Haggai Mazursky (Boeing), Prof. Gidi Grader (Technion), Prof. Idan Hod (Ben-Gurion University), and Dr. Alon Grinberg Dana (Technion), who will serve as the center’s director.

The establishment of this center positions Israel at the forefront of alternative aviation fuels and global sustainability efforts.