Harman opens new Israeli headquarters in Hod Hasharon

Harman has opened a new, 46,000 square feet facility, located in Hod Hasharon, which will now serve as the headquarters for Harman in Israel. This three-storey building will feature an advanced Smart Car Lab, where teams can research, test and validate the company's award-winning cybersecurity, over-the-air software updates technologies, and automotive cloud solutions, in real-life conditions. The company's existing Research & Development (R&D) centres, currently based in Kfar Saba, Hod Hasharon and Ramat Gan will now be consolidated under the new centre at Hod Hasharon.

Harman President and CEO, Dinesh C. Paliwal inaugurated the new centre, where he spoke about the importance of enabling Harman's growth in Israel.

"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," said Mr. Paliwal.

Paliwal, who was invited to serve the keynote at the Annual Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv, hosted by Honourable Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, will use the opportunity to meet with emerging Israeli automotive and mobility companies during his visit.

"As an innovation leader, we have built strong teams across the globe. From India to US, and from Israel to China, our teams in both developed and emerging markets, are creating the future of connectivity," says Mr. Paliwal. "By capitalising on the diverse strength of our workforce, and by leveraging our relationship with Samsung, Harman is well-positioned to play a starring role on the stage, at home, and in the car for a long time to come."

Harman is increasing its innovation capabilities globally, including expanding its workforce in Israel. Harman's innovation hubs in Israel are home to a team of highly-skilled, senior engineers developing technologies that will shape our future, including autonomous, connected and augmented reality platforms.

According to Oren Betzaleli, Country Manager "“ Harman Israel, and Senior Vice President, Software Platforms, Harman Connected Services, the growth of the company's operations in Israel is fast and the immediate implication is the constant hiring of new employees.

"We are continuously searching for the highest quality professionals in the field, and it was important to us that all of Harman employees work in one location, as they are collaborating to develop products and solutions that contribute to the future of the automotive industry," said Mr. Betzaleli.

Harman, a Samsung company, has acquired three Israeli start-ups in the last five years: iOnRoad, a red alert company situated in Ramat Gan; Red Bend, which enables today's cars to be connected to the cloud and is located in Hod Hasharon; and TowerSec Automotive Cybersecurity, which was based in Kfar Saba.