The Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering inaugurated yesterday (Tuesday, November 5, 2024) the Uzia Galil Memorial Lobby in memory of the late founder of Elbit Systems and many other companies. Family members attended the ceremony, Elbit Systems management, and in the presence of Elbit Systems President and CEO Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, former Chairman of the Elbit Board of Directors Mickey Federmann, Technion President Professor Uri Sivan, Faculty Dean Professor Idit Keidar, and President of the Technion Friends Association in Israel Professor Peretz Lavie.
Contributions from his family and Elbit Systems to the Technion made the lobby possible, which commemorates Uzia Galil’s work and showcases Elbit Systems’ advanced defense technology. The display in the lobby highlights the connection between Uzia’s legacy and Elbit’s products, representing the cutting edge of Israeli defense.
Uzia Galil (1925-2021) graduated from the Technion’s Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering and was one of the pioneers of Israeli high-tech. Born in 1925 in Bucharest, he immigrated to Israel at age 16. In 1943, he was accepted to study at the Technion, and after completing his studies, he served in the Navy. Following his Master’s degree at Purdue University, he worked in Chicago on Motorola’s color television development. Upon his return to Israel, he resumed service in the Navy as Head of the Electronics R&D Department. In 1957, he joined the Technion as a lecturer and head of the Electronics Department in the Faculty of Physics, developing sophisticated electronic systems for physics research. Alongside his work at the Technion, he founded Elron in 1962, which grew over 25 technology companies, including Elscint and Zoran. Later, he established the Galil Center for Computerized Medical Information and Telemedicine near the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine to integrate technology into healthcare.
At the ceremony, Uzia’s daughter, Ruth Alon, a Technion graduate and high-tech entrepreneur, said: “We always knew and felt that the extended Galil family included the Technion and Elbit. These were Dad’s ‘homes.’ His vision and work always centered on collaboration between academia and industry; this is the perfect place to commemorate him.
Uzia was a visionary who contributed significantly to the Technion, industry, and Israeli society,” said Technion President Professor Uri Sivan. “He was a dear friend of the Technion, one of its most distinguished alumni, and a devoted supporter of the academic institution where he studied. Uzia, an entrepreneur through and through, founded Elron, the first model of a high-tech industry grown from an Israeli academic institution. He was ahead of his time in many fields, laying the foundations for the Israeli startup nation and foreseeing the integration of technology and medicine in the service of humanity. His contribution to the Technion as Chairman of the Board of Governors and as a longtime member of the Executive Board was enormous. The new lobby will be used to train future generations of the Israeli high-tech industry, the students at the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and it will be dedicated to Galil’s legacy, a legacy of connecting academia and industry and nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers.”
Bezalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems: “A nation that does not know its past has a meager present, and its future is shrouded in fog. Yigal Allon’s words are well reflected in this lobby, which we established to commemorate Uzia Galil’s legacy. The connection between the Technion, its graduates, and Elbit is a strong bond of partnership, action, and responsibility for integrating advanced technologies into the Israeli industry. Elbit employees, graduates of the Technion, are familiar with and act according to Uzia Galil’s vision, whose unique character, creative spirit, and innovation inspire us – the company’s leaders and employees – to create and contribute daily. We are proud to carry on his legacy, committed to preserving and passing it on to future generations and contributing daily to Israel’s defense.”
“Uzia taught us that innovation and entrepreneurship are more than technical skills. They are a way of thinking, a way to believe in the power of ideas to change the world,” said Professor Peretz Lavie, former Technion President and Chairman of the Technion Friends Association in Israel. “To those who worked alongside Uzia, he was a leader and a mentor. He believed in the potential of people as much as he believed in the potential of technology, which is why the Technion was so dear to him. He wholeheartedly believed in the connection between academia and industry. He expressed this belief in nearly every board meeting at the Technion, where he served for many years.”
In 1977, the Technion awarded Galil an honorary doctorate. In 1980, he became Chairman of the Board of Governors, the first Technion graduate to hold the position, a role he held until 1990. In 1997, he received the Israel Prize for his contribution to developing the Israeli high-tech industry. The same year, he was also awarded the Technion Medal – the Technion’s highest honor.
For a video showcasing the work of the late Uzia Galil, click here.
For a photo album from the event.
