A Sixth Victory out of Eight Applications to Mekorot and its Partners By: Rachel Hedvat, WaTech® Division, Mekorot, via WaTech® division, the division responsible for Mekorot’s entrepreneurial ventures and innovations, supports and cooperates with companies that submit to the call for proposals funded by the Israel Innovation Authority and Ministry of Energy, in order to promote technological innovation in the State of Israel. Government offices advertise call for proposals for research and technological demonstrations funding. Companies that develop innovative technologies are invited to submit their proposal applications via online platform.

1. A Sixth Victory out of Eight Applications to Mekorot and its Partners
By: Rachel Hedvat,WaTech®
Division,
Mekorot, via WaTech®
division, the division responsible for Mekorot’s entrepreneurial
venturesandinnovations, supportsand cooperateswith companies thatsubmittothe call for
proposals funded by the Israel Innovation Authority and Ministry of Energy, in order to
promote technological innovation inthe State of Israel.Governmentofficesadvertisecall for
proposals for research and technological demonstrations funding. Companies that develop
innovative technologiesare invitedtosubmittheirproposal applicationsviaonline platform.
Every year, companies turn to Mekorot, requesting support in submitting to the calls for
proposals. WaTech®
responds to all the companies that have relevant technologies that can
meet the needs and challenges of Mekorot. All suggested partnerships are examined to
determine theircontributiontoMekorot,accordingto the followingparameters: Company's
strategic response, economic incentive and savings for Mekorot, compliance with relevant
regulationsandaresponsetoone ofthe technologicalneedspublishedbyMekoroteachyear.
Call for proposalsfor pioneeringfacilitiesinthe fieldofenergy:Publishedbythe Ministryof
Energy and Water, enabling the establishment of a first demo facility for innovative
technologies that drive energy conservation or create green energy. This call for proposals
fundsroughly50% of the experiment’scostanddoesnotrequire the technologycompanyto
pay anyroyaltiesto the State. As such, the conditions for application are most satisfactory.
Call for proposals for government companies (Israel Innovation Authority): This call for
proposalswaspublishedforthe firsttime by the Israel InnovationAuthorityandencourages
technologycompaniestosubmitresearchproposalswithgovernment companysupport.This
call for proposals comes with roughly 20-50% funding (up to 60% in national preference
areas).The technologycompanyisrequiredtopay royaltiestothe State,shouldthe product
developed using the funding be sold at a future date.
WaTech isproud to presentthe six out of eightcompanieswhose proposals were
supportedby Mekorot this year, and won the requiredfunding:
 CQM – Electrolytic disinfection of brine or feed water at Mekorot’s desalination
facilities and well water. Won the Israel Innovation Authority’s call for proposals.
 AQUAHD – Filtrationbackwashtreatment usinganadvancedseparationsystem.Won
the Israel Innovation Authority’s call for proposals.
 ABI – Reduction of water flow friction in water transmission and distribution pipes.
Won the Ministry of Energy’s call for proposals.
 DATUMATE – A drone-based monitoring system, designed to monitor infrastructure
work. Won the Israel Innovation Authority’s call for proposals.
 OFRA AQUA – Treatment of nitrates in desalination brine, using green basins. Won
the Israel Innovation Authority’s call for proposals.
 AQWIND SOLUTIONS – Treatmentof nitratesin desalination brine usingalgae.Won
the Israel Innovation Authority’s call for proposals.

2. The total amountof fundingreceivedforthe six projectsdoubledMekorot’sannual research
budget– a significantachievementwithrespecttothe R&D resourcesthatwill be available
to us inthe comingyear.
WaTech®
and its professional partners from the Engineering, Technology and Operations
Divisions invested significant efforts with respect to these activities, as did Mekorot’s Legal
Department, which provided ongoing support. These efforts paid off, enabling the
examination and Implementation of advanced technologies.
Thanks to the program, our partner-companies are able to benefit from the creation and
developmentof technological knowledge,exposure andjointworkwithresearchandindustry
facilities, universities, suppliers, end users and customers from Europe, securing our (and
their) reputation.
Each year, WaTech®
submits call for proposals that are relevant to that particular year. We
invite those fromnearand far to take advantage of this importantplatform, made publicvia
the Mekorot website.