U.S. to Honor Israeli Founder of Flash Storage Company

(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Dr. Eli Harari, the Israeli founder of the SanDisk flash storage company, has been named as one of the nine 2014 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

Dr. Eli Harari developed the Floating Gate EEPROM which proved the practicality, reliability, manufacturability and endurance of semiconductor-based data storage. This pioneering work laid the foundation for the flash memory market that would significantly impact the consumer electronics industry, enabling new products across multiple categories.

Harari will receive the medal at a White House event later this year.

“These scholars and innovators have expanded our understanding of the world, made invaluable contributions to their fields, and helped improve countless lives,” President Barack Obama said in a statement.

According to the White House, the medal “recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the nation’s technological workforce.”