The Technion, Israel’s primary engineering school, announced this week the establishment of the Max and Desiree Blankfeld Endowed Prize for Transformative Innovation in Aerospace, funded by a gift from Max and Desiree Blankfeld of Houston.
The new endowed prize will recognize major contributions in aerospace engineering and promote international collaboration and academic exchange. It will be administered by the Technion’s Stephen B. Klein Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, the only faculty of its kind in Israel.
The prize will alternate annually between two tracks: a Distinguished Leader Award for a senior researcher whose work has significantly shaped the field, and an Early Career Award for an outstanding emerging scholar. The early career prize will include an extended research residency at the Technion.
A call for nominations is expected in summer 2026, with the first prize ceremony planned for June 2027.
Prize recipients will take part in lectures, joint research and close engagement with faculty and students, contributing to the Technion’s aerospace research community and strengthening global scientific dialogue, the university said.
“Since the founding of the State of Israel, the Stephen B. Klein Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion has played a pivotal role in strengthening Israel’s security and advancing its technological leadership,” Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan said.
“As the only faculty of its kind in Israel, it has educated generations of aerospace engineers who have gone on to lead, shaping Israel’s aerospace ecosystem and contributing to its global standing,” he said. “The establishment of this new award will enable us to further elevate our research excellence, attract leading scholars from around the world and expand our work at the forefront of aerospace science and engineering.”
Max Blankfeld said the gift reflects his personal connection to the institution and its role in Israel’s future.
“Giving back is a deeply rewarding experience, especially when supporting an institution and a faculty that is crucial to the technological future and defense of the State of Israel,” he said. “It has played an important role not only in the nation’s story and the lives of many Israelis, but in my own life as well.”
Prof. Daniella Raveh, a former dean of the faculty, said the gift strengthens the Technion’s standing as a center for aerospace research and collaboration.
“It will help attract exceptional talent, promote bold ideas and inspire the next generation of aerospace engineers,” she said.
Blankfeld’s ties to the Technion include his early studies in aeronautical engineering, including time as a Technion student, before he shifted to a career as a foreign correspondent and later founded and managed ventures in public relations and consumer goods in Brazil and the United States.
He was appointed to the Technion Board of Governors in 2025. He and his wife, Desirée, are Technion Guardians and established the Eli and Chaya Blankfeld Graduate Fellowship in honor of his parents, both Holocaust survivors.
The Blankfelds have also supported undergraduate scholarships. The new aerospace prize, the Technion said, reflects their continuing commitment to advancing research and global leadership in aerospace engineering.