The annual exhibition and conference exhibits Israeli innovation and ideas.
By SHARON UDASINMoovit app has 10 million users(photo credit: JEWISH BUSINESS NEWS)
Home to Israel’s most prominent hazardous waste site and once considered among the country’s most polluted regions, the Neot Hovav Regional Council earned a “Cleantech Prize” for its now clean technology at a ceremony in Airport City on Tuesday.Alongside six other winners, Neot Hovav Regional Council of the Negev received the prize at Cleantech 2015, the annual exhibition and conference exhibiting Israeli innovation and ideas and in the clean technology sector, organized by the Mashov Group.Neot Hovav, formerly known as Ramat Hovav, has been developing the Neot Hovav Eco Industrial Park, which the Cleantech judges described as “groundbreaking” for its environmental footprint- reduction principles. Factories located within the Eco Industrial Park, which promotes green growth in the Negev, cooperate toward making prudent use of resources, commit to increasing operational efficiency and to reduce effluents and environmental emissions.“This is an honor for us that senior decision- makers from industry, local government, academia, and environmental organizations that made up the judging committee are aware of the big changes we have made here and are pointing them out,” said Andre Uzan, chairman of Neot Hovav Regional Council, in a statement prior to receiving the award. “I have no doubt that we will continue the renewal process that we are leading, the same process that has transformed the park into a significant and important economic anchor in the Negev, while protecting the environment.”The other prizewinners included the MOOVIT public transportation app for smartphones, which is now providing live travel information in 500 cities around the world, the judging committee said. Another recipient was the Council for Higher Education, which the committee members praised for the development of academic programs relevant to environmental studies throughout the country.Hagihon, Jerusalem’s water corporation, received a prize for its advanced management of urban water resources, while the Amiad company earned an award for its development of innovation water filtration technologies – which have penetrated markets around the world. The Ytong building products company, meanwhile, was recognized by the judges due to its variety of ecological design solutions, such as thermal insulation techniques and use of recycled materials.The seventh award winner at Cleantech 2015 was the Israel Energy Forum, for its work to encourage energy efficiency, as well as to promote the use of renewable energy and smart energy management tools. Forum founder Yael Cohen-Paran was incidentally selected on Sunday to run for the Knesset in the 24th spot of the Labor-Hatnua list.Cohen-Paran appeared on an earlier panel at Cleantech 2015 on Tuesday morning, prior to her organization’s award, in which she and MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) discussed future environmental policy.In response to a question on the subject, Cohen-Paran stressed the importance of reinstating Israel’s frozen greenhouse gas reductions program, calling the program a requirement rather than a privilege. The necessary budget for the program must be provided, she argued.
