Dr. Alex Huang received his B.Sc. degree from Zhejiang University, China in 1983 and his M.Sc. degree from Chengdu Institute of Radio Engineering, China in 1986, both in electrical engineering. He received his Ph.D. from Cambridge University, UK in 1992. He was a professor at CPES Virginia Tech from 1994 to 2004. From 2004 to 2017, he was the Progress Energy Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State University where he established and led the NSF FREEDM Systems Center. Since 2017, he has become the Dula D. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering at University of Texas at Austin where he directs the Semiconductor Power Electronics Center (SPEC). He has mentored and graduated more than 90 Ph.D. and master students, and has published more than 600 papers in international conferences and journals. He has also been granted more than twenty U.S. patents. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award, the prestigious R & D 100 Award, the MIT Technology Review’s 2011 Technology of the Year Award, the 2019 IEEE IAS Gerald Kliman Innovator Award and the 2020 IEEE PELS David Middlebrook Achievement Award. Dr. Huang is a fellow of IEEE and National Academy of Inventors.

Topic: Medium Voltage Solid State Transformer Enabled DC Microgrid

Dr. Johann W. Kolar is a Fellow of the IEEE and is currently a Full Professor and the Head of the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. He has proposed numerous novel converter concepts incl. the Vienna Rectifier, the Sparse Matrix Converter and the Swiss Rectifier, has spearheaded the development of x-million rpm motors, and has pioneered fully automated multi-objective power electronics design procedures. He has supervised 75+ Ph.D. students, has published 900+ journal and conference papers and 4 book chapters, and has filed 200+ patents. He has served as IEEE PELS Distinguished Lecturer from 2012 – 2016. He has received 36 IEEE Transactions and Conference Prize Paper Awards, the 2014 IEEE Power Electronics Society R. David Middlebrook Achievement Award, the 2016 IEEE PEMC Council Award, the 2016 IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Award, and two ETH Zurich Golden Owl Awards for excellence in teaching.  The focus of his current research is on ultra-compact/efficient WBG converter systems, ANN-based design procedures, Solid-State Transformers, ultra-high speed drives, and bearingless motors. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering as an international member in 2021.

Topic:   “Enabling the Race to the Bottom –  Conceptualization of the Medium Voltage Power System of Ultra-Deep Sea Hydrones”

Dr. Isik C. Kizilyalli currently serves as the Associate Director for Technology at the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). In this role, Dr. Kizilyalli supports the Deputy Director for Technology in oversight of all technology issues relating to ARPA-E’s programs as well as assisting with program development, Program Director and Fellow recruitment, and coordinating project management across the Agency. Kizilyalli’s focus at ARPA-E includes power electronics, wide bandgap semiconductors, electronic systems for hostile environments, electrification of transport (aviation, ships, automotive, space), subsurface instrumentation, novel drilling concepts, medium voltage DC distribution grids, and grid resiliency against EMP and space weather threats. Prior to joining ARPA-E, Kizilyalli served as founder and executive at various startups. Previously, he was with Bell Laboratories. Kizilyalli was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2007 for his contributions to Integrated Circuit Technology. He also received the Bell Laboratories’ Distinguished Member of Technical Staff award and the Best Paper Award at the International Symposium on Power Semiconductors and Integrated Circuits (ISPSD) in 2013. Kizilyalli holds his B.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has published more than 100 papers and holds 125 issued U.S. patents.

Topic: Medium Voltage Devices and Circuits enabling DC Micro Grids

Marco Carminati received the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 2002 and an Executive Ph.D. degree in Electric Engineering in 2015 from the Polytechnic University of Milan (Italy). In 2003, he joined ABB and now he works in the Marketing & Sales Department as Global Direct Current and Arc Flash Mitigation Applications Specialist. He is a member of Italian Standard Authority (CEI) and of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Direct Current working groups. His interests include power electronics, LVDC distribution and applications (e.g. PV/ESS, DC distribution inside buildings, DC marine distribution onboard, DC microgrids), fault analysis and protection and arc flash mitigation.

Topic: “How to overcome protection challenges in LVDC Microgrids thanks to a new breaking technology

Mr. Mario Dionisio is a Programme assistant for EU policies in the Directorate General for Energy of the European Commission, Unit B5 – Innovation, Research, Digitalisation and Competitiveness, since 2007. His main activities are focused on the development of relevant policies and programmes in the area of renewable energy and its integration in the energy system. To facilitate the transition towards a modern energy system, Mario introduced, amongst others, Power Electronics and DC technologies at different voltage levels (HVDC, MVDC and LVDC) in the energy policy discussion as key technologies to make both the offshore and onshore grid fit-for-purpose in 2050. Mario contributes to the development of the energy component of the Work Programmes within Horizon Europe, the European Commission Research and innovation-funding programme 2021 – 2027.  He is also involved in the management, co-ordination and related follow-up of Horizon Europe energy research projects. Mario holds a master degree in Industrial Engineering in Electromechanics. Prior to join the European Commission, Mario worked thirteen years in the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (Italy) in the Safety Plants Design and Maintenance Department. Previously, he worked for fifteen years in the electric-electronic domains in ENEL (the then Italian National electricity company), RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (Italian Broadcasting Corporation), (Italy), Ericsson Telecommunications Inc. (Canada), and in his own private electrical-electronic company (Italy).

Topic: “DC grids: opportunities and challenges for the energy transition”

Dr. Sudip K. Mazumder received his Ph.D. degree from Virginia Tech in 2001. He is a Professor and the Director of Laboratory for Energy and Switching-Electronics Systems in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He also serves as the President of the small business NextWatt LLC. He has about 30 years of professional experience in academia and industry, has held R&D and design positions in leading industrial organizations, and has served as a Technical Consultant for several industries. He also serves since 2008 as the President of NextWatt LLC.

Topic: “DC Fast Charger using Wide-Bandgap Power Electronics for Long-Range Electric Vehicles”

Harry Stokman is a DC expert and entrepreneur in DC application like corrosion control and electrochemical applications since 1988, and started the company Direct Current LtD in 2009 to create DC systems in existing ecosystem outside the lab, such as office buildings and streetlights until 2020. Since 2021 active for DC Systems by Schneider Electric, active in the IEC for standardisation in many technical commissions such as TC8, TC13, TC64, SyC LVDC, SC121, focussing on the DC topics.

Inventor and driver of Current/OS. This is a protocol for active DC systems, to provide an open standard to ensure compatibility on safety, connectivity, earthing and power flow management. The Current/OS protocol is now managed by the Current/OS Foundation founded by Schneider and Eaton.

Topic: “The need for a protocol”