Israel’s Science and Technology Ministry funding new biometrics R&D

Israel’s Science, Technology and Space Ministry and the National Cyber Bureau’s biometric identification and applications unit have put out a call for proposals for biometric and identification research and development, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post.

The Israeli government will reward each project with NIS 450,000 (US$125,559) for a period of up to three years.

The project is designed to advance existing knowledge in the biometrics and identification field, develop applications, and increase the number of researchers and research studies.

Science, Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis said the project is intended “to express the added value of the scientists and entrepreneurs in Israel who can predict problems we may face, and help create solutions, and promote Israel as a leader in the field.”

The ministry said the secure identification for online services and smartphones will ultimately enable state and private sectors to provide people with a broader, more secure range of services.

“Increasing the use of biometric applications will be of considerable benefit to society and the economy,” Dr. Evyatar Matania, head of the Cyber Bureau, said. “To accomplish this, it is important to create an ecosystem among the government, academia and industry. The financing of research is one of the main tools to accomplish this.”

On June 1, Israel moved to biometric passports and ID cards’éa” exclusively, following several extensions of the pilot phase.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  funding  |  identification  |  Israel  |  research