On the opening of the ILSI Biomed Israel 2011 week (Monday, May the 23rd, 2011), President Peres has announced the launch of a new international centre in Israel, set to conduct brain research and to promote the neuro-technology field. Registered as a non-profit association, the centre will be headed (voluntarily) by entrepreneur Dr. Rafi Gidron, one of the entrepreneurs and founders of Chromatis, which, in the year 2000, was sold to Lucent for $ 4.8 Billion, together with representatives of the Israeli life science industry, senior academists, medical doctors, the Chief Scientist and the office team of the President of the State of Israel.
In his opening speech, Mr. Peres described how in the early 1980's, when he started to promote the research of nano-technology in Israel, people around him did not understand what he was doing and were sceptic about the idea that nano-technology could be developed in Israel. "Today, Israel is considered to be one of the most esteemed Nano centres in this arena," said Mr. Peres, "and this is exactly the right moment to aim at the next target - a global centre that leads the development of brain research based technologies, ultimately helping millions of people around the world, victims of brain strokes, Alzheimer's disease or even blindness and deafness."
Being aware of the fact that many of the senior functionaries of world and Israeli industries were in the audience, President Peres took the opportunity and called them to join the new centre initiative and to contribute to its success. "This centre will have no international borders, no politics and no prejudices, and it will only be guided by and act for the benefit of the entire humanity."
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