Founder and Dean of the School of Industrial Engineering and Management Prof. Ehud Menipaz delivered a keynote speech at the T-EDGE Conference and Awards, which was held in Beijing, and focused on artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

Prof. Menipaz was invited to speak at this forum in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Association of Engineers, Architects and Graduates in Technological Sciences in Israel. The T-EDGE Conference and Awards was sponsored by senior Chinese government officials, startups, and established companies, and focused on artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

Guests included Nobel Prize winners in chemistry and economics, and many prominent figures from academy and the international business community.

In his keynote speech, Prof. Menipaz highlighted the connection between high technology innovation and the national ecosystem, and revealed his research on these topics, indicating the importance of appropriate education and academic pedagogy based on experimentation and mentoring in the relevant industries.

Prof. Menipaz presented the twelve entrepreneurial framework conditions that constitute the foundations for an entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, including implementation and commercialization of intellectual property, government policy, and education in elementary and high schools, and academic institutions. He also presented and demonstrated three advanced systems that promote innovations in high technologies at national level: first, the National Engineering Hackathon, which incorporates all the relevant academic institutions in Israel, and enables the participants to experience innovation in academic program frameworks; second, Young Entrepreneurs Israel, that facilitates experience in innovation and entrepreneurship in middle schools, high schools, and other community frameworks; and third, compulsory army service, which promotes and enhances abilities to operate complex technological systems under challenging conditions, as well as teamwork, and division of responsibility and authority between team members.

In conversations with leading representatives from various countries, ideas for technological and academic collaboration were raised.

Additionally, Prof. Menipaz was approached with a request to give a keynote speech at next year’s T-EDGE Conference and Awards.