Professor Gehan Amaratunga 

The big problem in getting more electric vehicles on the road is the size and weight of the batteries. The search is on for a different kind of capacitator to replace batteries, a fabricated nanomaterial that can efficiently store electrical power. This is Gehan’s present goal. His field is power electronic devices and integrated circuits. He has a good few patents to his name and a clutch of spin-out companies. CamSemi won the 2009 University Spin-Out of the Year award. Gehan’s work on silicon chips and power switching devices has applications for the gear inside most consumer electrical goods. Solar cells are another preoccupation: efficient harvesting of solar power for the grid.