Samsung subsidiary ups Israel presence

Harman International, an automotive technology subsidiary of Samsung, has significantly bolstered its presence in Israel with the opening of a new three-story headquarters and research and development center in Hod Hasharon.

Dinesh Paliwal, president and CEO of Harman, opened the company’s new 4250 sq.m. facility on Monday, which will feature an advanced Smart Car lab and consolidate its existing research and development centers located in Kfar Saba, Hod Hasharon and Ramat Gan.

“We are now preparing for the next phase of growth – connected vehicles and automated driving, and the entrepreneurial spirit and innovations taking place in Israel play an instrumental part in this strategy,” Paliwal said.

The Smart Car lab will enable teams to research, test and validate the company’s cybersecurity, software update technologies and automotive cloud solutions in real-life conditions.

Paliwal, who delivered the keynote speech at the annual Smart Mobility Summit at Habima Theater and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, will meet a number of automotive and mobility companies during his visit.

Harman, which became a subsidiary of Samsung in March 2017, has purchased three Israeli automotive start-ups in the last five years: road safety app iOnRoad, software solutions company Red Bend and automotive cybersecurity developer TowerSec. The acquisitions are estimated to have cost nearly $300 million.

“As an innovation leader, we have built strong teams across the globe. From India to the US, and from Israel to China, our teams in both developed and emerging markets, are creating the future of connectivity,” said Paliwal.