Oct 29, 2018   SOURCE: BusinessWire

HARMAN Strengthens Presence in Israel with New Headquarters

HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, today announced that the company is strengthening its presence in Israel.

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) centers, currently based in Kfar Saba, Hod Hasharon and Ramat Gan will now be consolidated under the new center at Hod Hasharon.

HARMAN President and CEO, Dinesh C. Paliwal inaugurated the new center today, 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.

Mr. Paliwal, who was invited to serve the keynote at the Annual Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv, hosted by Honorable 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 capitalizing 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 rate 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.

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ABOUT HARMAN

HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

© 2018 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson are trademarks of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. AKG is a trademark of AKG Acoustics GmbH, registered in the United States and/or other countries. Features, specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice.