Natural Resources >> CEO Interviews >> June 18, 2002
STANFORD R. OVSHINSKY is President and Chief Executive Officer of Energy
Conversion Devices, Inc., headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He
and his wife, Dr. Iris M. Ovshinsky, founded ECD in 1960 to continue his
work in the field of amorphous and disordered materials, which he
originated in 1955. His fundamental and basic contributions established
the field, resulting in transforming the old approaches to glasses to
one of unexpected new physical, chemical and electronic mechanisms. His
pioneering work in the field of amorphous and disordered materials has
become the enabling technology in four major areas: energy generation,
including photovoltaics and fuel cells; energy storage, including Ovonic
nickel metal hydride consumer and electric and hybrid vehicle batteries
and solid hydrogen storage; information systems, including amorphous
semiconductors, switching and phase-change memories, both optical and
electrical; and atomically designed synthetic materials for a wide
variety of uses. Mr. Ovshinsky has over 275 US patents and is the author
of over 250 scientific papers ranging from neurophysiology to amorphous
semiconductors. He serves on various scientific, educational and civic
boards and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Diesel
Gold Medal for Invention presented by German Inventors Association
(Deutscher Erfinderverband) in recognition of his discovery of the
semiconductor switching effect in disordered and amorphous materials
(1968), the Coors American Ingenuity Award (1988), the Toyota Award for
Advancement for his development of the Ovonic nickel metal hydride
batteries for electric vehicles (1991), the Karl W. Ber Solar Energy
Medal of Merit, awarded jointly by the University of Delaware and the
International Solar Energy Society (1999), and the International
Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE) Sir William Grove Award (June
2000). He and his wife, Iris, were named Heroes of Chemistry 2000 by
the American Chemical Society for 'advances in electrochemical, energy
storage and energy generation, including the development of Ovonic
nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries, regenerative fuel
cells, solid hydrogen storage system, and amorphous silicon
photovoltaics" and for having "made significant and lasting
contributions to global human welfare.' He was inducted into the
Michigan Chemical Engineering Hall of Fame and named Michigan Scientist
of the Year by Impression 5 Science Museum. Mr. Ovshinsky is a fellow of
both the American Physical Society 'for his contributions to the
understanding, applications and development of amorphous electronic
materials and devices' and of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronic Engineers, a Member of Sigma XI, a Life Member
of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and a member of the American
Chemical Society. He was profiled in a one-hour PBS program on NOVA
(1987), named the Corporate Detroiter of the Year by Corporate Detroit
magazine (1993) and named "Hero for the Planet" by Time magazine (1999).
He was profiled in Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the
Mouse, published by MIT Press in association with Lemelson-MIT Program
(December 2001), as one of the 35 American Inventors over the past
century 'who helped to shape the modern world.' Profile
to resolution, does it?
Mr. Ovshinsky: It is no longer a long-term solution. It's here and now.
The ultimate solution has
