2014 Ramniceanu Prize
The Hugo Ramniceanu Prize in Economics for 2014 was presented to the co-founders and developers of Waze Ltd., the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation application. High-tech wizards Uri Levine, Noam Bardin, Ehud Shabtai and Amir Shinhar were recognized for their business acumen, which led to the integration of Waze Ltd. into the Google group of companies, and for serving as role models for new generations of Israeli entrepreneurs.
The prize is awarded annually to distinguished personalities in the Israeli business world. Hugo’s daughter, Dr. Monique Barel, said, “Thirty years ago, when my father founded this prize, the idea of rewarding entrepreneurship and innovation was a revolutionary concept. Waze is perfectly identified with the spirit of this prize.”
Also attending were Prof. Jacob A. Frenkel, Chairman of the Board of Governors; TAU President Joseph Klafter; Hugo’s son, Gerard Ramniceanu; and Marc Haddad, a member of the French Friends and TAU governor. In his response, Waze CEO Noam Bardin, said, “Tel Aviv University’s top tier computer science graduates were critical to building this company.”