Intel CEO, and 300 of his drones, to attend Israel’s independence celebrations
During official ceremony in Jerusalem, Intel quadcopters will stage a light and music display in the sky
Shoshanna Solomon was The Times of Israel's Startups and Business reporter
The chief executive officer of Intel Corp., Brian Krzanich, will join Israel for Wednesday night’s celebrations of the 70th anniversary of its independence, which will include a special display of a fleet of 300 Intel drones staged for the state’s official ceremony in Jerusalem.
“I am excited to be in Israel on Independence Day, in Jerusalem, and to participate in this exciting event,” Krzanich said in a statement. “This year, in 2018, Intel marks its 50th anniversary and the State of Israel celebrates its 70th anniversary. This is a double and moving birthday.”
As part of the show on Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl, Intel’s Shooting Star drones — quadcopters that integrate sensors, computing, communication and cloud technologies — will light up the Jerusalem skies with star-like images of the Star of David, the peace dove, the walls of Jerusalem and Theodor Herzl, along with music. The drones, which weigh just 330 grams each, are equipped with LED bulbs and are able create more than four billion color combinations.
Israel at 70 is notable for its technological prowess and Intel is “proud” to be represented in the official state celebration, where just one operator is in charge of flying the 300 drones, Yaniv Garty, the CEO of Intel Israel, said in the statement.
The Shooting Star drones have been showcased by Intel at other events abroad, including in the 71st Super Bowl and at Disney World.
Intel has been operating in Israel since 1974, and has invested some $17 billion to date. The US semiconductor giant is also planning an additional $5 billion investment through 2020, to expand a chip manufacturing plant in Kiryat Gat. The firm employs some 11,000 workers in its manufacturing plant in Kiryat Gat and in its R&D centers in Jerusalem, Petah Tikva and Haifa. In addition, Intel employs some 1,000 workers at Mobileye, the Jerusalem-based auto technology firm that it acquired last year for a whopping $15.3 billion.
“Intel connected itself to Israel decades ago, during which it has operated and invested heavily in Israel,” Mobileye’s CEO Amnona Shashua said in the statement. “Today it is taking another step in strengthening this connection through a spectacular show of drones that will showcase historical Israeli symbols.”
In addition to Krzanich, who has flown in from the US especially for the event, a number of other Intel executives will take part in the Jerusalem ceremony.
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