Technion - Israel Institute of Technology will award a new prize for contributions in the field of aerospace engineering, the university announced in a statement on Wednesday.
The Max and Desiree Blankfeld Endowed Prize for Transformative Innovation in Aerospace is meant to “recognize groundbreaking contributions in aerospace engineering while fostering sustained international collaboration and academic exchange.”
Funded by Max and Desiree Blankfeld, Jewish philanthropists based in Houston, Texas, the prize will be administered by the Technion’s Stephen B. Klein Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.
Additionally, the prize is meant to alternate between two tracks every other year, one “honoring a senior researcher whose work has significantly shaped the field,” and the other “supporting an outstanding emerging scholar and enabling extended research residency at the Technion.”
Technion strengthening Israel since country's founding, president says
Technion president Prof. Uri Sivan highlighted the importance of the Technion’s aerospace department, saying that "[s]ince 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.
"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."
“The establishment of this new award,” he added, “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."
Nominations for the prize will open in the summer of 2026, and the first iteration will be awarded in June 2027.
Max Blankfeld, the Brazilian-American businessman and philanthropist whose donation established the prize, said it was a “deeply rewarding experience” to give back to the institution at which he studied in the 1970s.
Blankfeld, who studied aeronautical engineering at the Technion before turning to business, was appointed to the Technion Board of Governors in 2025.
“Over the years,” the Technion statement reads, “the Blankfelds have also supported undergraduate scholarships, and their recent commitment to create the Max and Desiree Blankfeld Endowed Prize for Transformative Innovation in Aerospace underscores Max’s vision to advance transformative research and global leadership in aerospace engineering.
“With continued philanthropic leadership, Max exemplifies steadfast generosity and an enduring dedication to strengthening the Technion’s impact on Israel and the world.”