$50 million donation will help create new quantum science center in Haifa

A San Francisco-based foundation has given the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology a $50 million contribution, which will support a new quantum science center at the Haifa university.

The gift from the Helen Diller Family Foundation “will strengthen the Technion’s position as a world leader in quantum science and engineering by providing the means for new faculty recruitment, establishing new infrastructure, seed funding for research and development, and educating a new generation of engineers with a mastery of quantum mechanics,” according to the university.

The center will be named the Helen Diller Center for Quantum Science, Matter, and Engineering.

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that describes nature at the smallest scales of energy levels of atoms and subatomic particles.

The center will advance basic sciences while using the principles of quantum mechanics to study various engineering fields and develop applications for industries. It also will serve as a platform for collaboration between Technion scientists and engineers in other fields.

“The Technion is one of the preeminent institutions for technology in the world, and my parents thought this was an important investment for the future of Israel and humanity,” said Helen Diller’s daughter, Jackie Safier, who is president of the foundation. “The new Helen Diller Center for Quantum Science, Matter, and Engineering will help Israel secure its place in the next revolution in science and engineering.”