Karim Zaghib: "This distinction signifies an international recognition for the entire battery technology ecosystem in Quebec and Canada."
Karim Zaghib, professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at Concordia's Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, has been awarded the 2024 Battery Division Research Award by the Electrochemical Society (ECS).
This accolade, established in 1958, recognizes exceptional achievements in battery and fuel cell research, aiming to inspire younger electrochemists. Zaghib will be officially presented with the award at the ECS Prime 2024 conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, this October.
"I am deeply honoured," Zaghib shares. "This distinction signifies an international recognition not only for my teams but also for the entire battery technology ecosystem in Quebec and Canada, and for all the work we have accomplished."
His nomination received support from an impressive list of peers, including:
- Professor John Goodenough from the University of Texas at Austin, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry 2019
- Akira Yoshino from Asahi Kasei Corporation, also a Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry 2019
- Professor Michel Armand from CIC energiGUNE
- Kim Kinoshita from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Boryann Liaw from Idaho National Laboratory
- Khalil Amine from Argonne National Laboratory
Zaghib's pioneering work in electrochemistry, rechargeable batteries, carbon, energy transition and transport electrification has significantly influenced generations of researchers. With over 450 scientific publications, 970 patents and 62 licenses to his name, his innovations are now widely used by major companies, including Tesla, Ford, Mercedes, BMW, CAT and BYD.
He is now CEO of Concordia’s Volt-Age initiative, supported by a $123 million Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Volt-Age is Canada’s premier electrification research program, focusing on applied research that integrates technologies for carbon-neutral buildings, advanced energy storage, smart grids and the electrification of transportation.
The initiative is creating solutions for a de-carbonized future, emphasizing affordability, equity and societal well-being, with special attention to the needs of Indigenous communities.
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