The University of Southampton

Memristor pioneer honoured in Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists

Published: 9 December 2020
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Professor Themis Prodromakis

Professor Themis Prodromakis from the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics has been selected as a finalist in the 2021 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK.

The international honour recognises his contributions in devising new computer hardware to support the rapidly increasing computational demands of AI applications.

Professor Prodromakis is Director of Southampton's Centre for Electronics Frontiers and holds a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies.

The Awards, announced by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences, provide the largest cash prize available to scientists aged 42 or younger. Professor Prodromakis is a finalist in 'Physical Sciences and Engineering' and will receive £23,000.

His transformative technology is built upon an electronic component known as a Memristor, which simultaneously stores multiple datasets in a single component.

Professor Prodromakis says: "The invention of the transistor and integrated circuits have over the past seven decades transformed our world. Sustaining modern societal needs requires a fundamental re-think of electronics and Memristors promise to bring this change about. I am truly honoured that the contributions of my team and collaborators are recognised with this prestigious award."

The 2021 Blavatnik Awards in the UK Laureates and Finalists are due to be honoured at a ceremony in London, tentatively scheduled for 8th June 2021. The following day, the honourees will present their research with a series of short, interactive lectures at a free public symposium, "Innovating for a Better Future: 9 Young Scientists Transforming our World."

Sir Leonard Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries, head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, and member of the President's Council of the New York Academy of Sciences, says: "The UK has always been recognised and admired for its scientific excellence. Each of this year's Blavatnik Award honourees is a rising star in their respective fields and it is a great pleasure to give them the global recognition they so richly deserve."

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