Innovating for Sustainability and Profitability: How innovations in efficiency enable us to do good for the environment while doing well as a business - APEC 2024

Fundamental microelectronics innovations such as high voltage GaN and developments in power converter topology and implementation, are key weapons in the world’s push for decarbonization and energy sustainability. Together, they deliver excellent efficiency, eliminate many parts from system bills of materials, minimize power sub-system volume, heatsinking requirements and enclosure size and weight. The environmental benefits of smaller physical size, reduced complexity and minimal heat dissipation ripple through the supply and use chain from primary mineral sourcing to shipping costs to end user electricity bills. Even so, when sustainability is considered at a business level, there’s often a question of whether or not you can run a growth-oriented and profitable enterprise while providing products with an environmental focus. This presentation discusses the critical role of efficiency in sustainability and how our innovations allow us to do good for the environment while doing well as a business.

Balu Balakrishnan joined Power Integrations in 1989, serving in a variety of roles before becoming president and COO in April 2001. He was named CEO and appointed to the company's board of directors in January 2002. He was named chairman of the board in 2023. Mr. Balakrishnan has more than 40 years of engineering, marketing and management experience in the semiconductor industry, including product-line management responsibility at National Semiconductor Corporation. He is the chief inventor of several key Power Integrations products and technologies and holds more than 200 U.S. patents. He has received the Discover Award for Technological Innovation as well as a TechAmerica Innovator Award, both in recognition of the environmental benefits of EcoSmart technology.