Alon Barnea, IEC Chairman
Oz Mahlebani, IEC Manager
The vision of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) at Afeka Tel-Aviv Academic College of Engineering is to be an integrated and substantial part of the educational process and learning experience of each and every student. The center’s strategy is in alignment with Afeka’s goal of creating a graduate profile that incorporates vital personal skills as learning outcomes of the educational process - among them an innovation & entrepreneurship mindset.
The IEC is a vibrant hub with a rich variety of activities, such as meetups, hackathons, competitions, an acceleration program, workshops, academic courses, student clubs, and a maker lab. "We are aiming for long-term impact on the careers of our students," says Alon Barnea, IEC's Chairman. "Despite the fact that our students have very little spare time - they are interested in extracurricular activities with relevant content that provides value." The IEC holds over 50 different activities each year, with about 1000 participants - mainly students and alumni, but also faculty, staff and external guests.
Engineers lead change and develop solutions to diverse human challenges and problems. Thus, the main goal of the IEC is for Afeka’s Engineering students to understand that an innovation & entrepreneurship toolkit is essential for all modern engineers - regardless of whether they are leading their own venture or developing products within an organization.
The hub has helped create a few ventures, but "the first priority of the Afeka’s IEC is to contribute to the educational process of our students," says Oz Mahlebani, IEC Manager. "We have developed an intelligent operational model that encourages IEC community members to develop innovation & entrepreneurship skills at their own pace and through personal passions."
The IEC has a team of experts, professional mentors, lecturers and dedicated staff members, and over the years has developed strong partnerships with organizations like Meir Medical Center, Israel America Chamber of Commerce, MakeLab Yehud, Erlich group, Rabin Medical Center, Magen David Adom and Energycom, among others.
Photos courtesy of Afeka