The Finnish Millennium Technology Prize has been awarded to Professor Bantval Jayant Baliga of North Carolina State University, United States. The award ceremony took place on Wednesday 30 October 2024 at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland. Professor Baliga received the award for his innovation of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), which has radically reduced global electricity consumption.
The patron of the Millennium Technology Prize, President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb, gave a video speech at the award ceremony, as he was unable to attend due to a state visit to China.
“The importance of the innovation is demonstrated by the fact that the IGBT is estimated to have reduced global carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equivalent to the emissions from all human activity over three years. Wind and solar power plants around the world, for example, are more efficient when they use innovative IGBT technology,” said the President, congratulating the award winner. “It’s no wonder that you, Professor Baliga, have been called the person with the world’s largest negative carbon footprint.”
On Thursday, Professor Bantval Jayant Baliga gave a lecture on his energy-saving innovation at the University of Helsinki. During the week, Professor Baliga also lectured at the Tampere University and the Lahti and Lappeenranta campuses of LUT University.
The Millennium Technology Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious awards in science and technology. The international prize, which highlights the broad impact of science and technology on the well-being of society, was awarded for the eleventh time and is worth EUR 1 million. The prize is awarded by the Technology Academy Finland (TAF).
