Technion is the principal cultivator of STEM talent in a country known for high-tech innovation and entrepreneurial ingenuity. Figuring prominently in Israel’s vaunted startup ecosystem, companies founded by our graduates attract $2.5 billion in venture capital annually; Technion trained men and women populate the boardrooms and laboratories of the nation’s leading corporations and hold leadership positions in multinationals. Our faculty members are among the world’s most oft-cited researchers in numerous engineering disciplines, chemistry, mathematics and more – placing Technion among the top 100 in the annual global rankings of universities.
Our institution is unique in its capacity to turn out frontline innovators. Technion’s confident “no problem is too big to solve” campus culture, transdisciplinary approach to education and research, and top-tier faculty provide sure footing for student growth and development. Taking theoretical science to the applied level, we train our students in the nuanced application of engineering fundamentals to overcome real-world technological challenges. They are taught to integrate distributed resources and diverse competences through focused collaboration and multidisciplinary teamwork. These research and development skills are refined through experiential learning opportunities, as students assist in laboratories, intern at partnering companies, and participate in mentored research; they further practice those skills within t-hub programs, cross-campus competitions and community engagement programs. Upon graduation, our alumni hit the ground running from day one, ready to push the envelope of innovation – in healthcare, energy and environment, civil construction, transportation and much more.
Communicating the Technion Message
Technion’s many partners at home and abroad already recognize its singular qualities and achievements. Still, we acknowledge the need to extend our reach and refresh our messaging – throughout industry, academia, government, science and funding entities, and with the public at large. A reimagined marketing and communications (MarCom) strategy will be key to the university’s continued ability to draw the “best and brightest” students, recruit new generations of noted faculty talent, expand its donor base and enhance its international footprint. If it is to be effective, the new MarCom strategy must put Technion exceptionalism at the very front and center of public discourse on technology and innovation.
Having engaged a strategic marketing firm in the run up to the centennial celebrations, and after consulting with the American Technion Society, the Division of Public Affairs and Resource Development (PARD) recently set forth and began implementing a plan of action to operationalize critical MarCom objectives vis-à-vis the Technion, as follows:
> Visibility – heightening general awareness of the university, its global standing in STEM education and research, and its vital role in Israel’s prosperity and security. We will revitalize our website and buttress our social media presence, creating new touchpoints for effective engagement and messaging. Promotional videos will highlight Technion’s values and mission; feature length documentaries will spotlight the compelling stories and personalities standing behind a hundred years of leading-edge scientific discovery and technological invention. Quality wearables and gifts items bearing the Technion name and logo will help promote brand recall locally, while high-profile Technion-hosted international conferences focusing on the intersection of industry and research universities bolsters Technion brand recognition worldwide.
> Positioning – creating a distinctive identity in the eyes of key stakeholders, by differentiating the Technion’s brand from those of the world’s other elite technological universities. The Technion will pointedly convey its unique value proposition in a series of meetings and events involving scientific funding entities (EU, NSF, ISF, etc.), government agencies, industries and within the academic world. Stakeholders’ awareness of our UVP guarantees that engagement with the Technion is the first and most obvious option that comes to their mind in the areas where Technion outshines other universities. Allied with or representing many of the stakeholders, Technion alumni will be enlisted as advocates and active participants in the process.
We view the centennial celebrations as an inflection point that naturally accommodates the introduction of these long-term shifts in branding and communications.