14 DAY TRIAL // Sony has been researching solar panels, OLED and other display technologies, among other things, for years, and it has now hired a certain professor to act as advisor for organic electronics.
Since all Nobel Prize winners automatically get a lot of recognition and a strong voice in their field of expertise, it is not unexpected to hear them landing a job with some high-profile company or institution.
At the 2010 edition, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was a team composed of Richard F. Heck, Professor Emeritus at University of Delaware and Professor Negishi, together with Akira Suzuki and Professor Emeritus at Hokkaido University.
Their research dealt with what is known as “palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis.”
Of them, Professor Ei-ichi Negishi is the Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University (USA) and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hokkaido University Catalysis Research Center.
Since he is obviously an authority in his domain, Sony figured it would put his knowledge to good use.
As such, the company hired him to work as Executive Research Advisor for materials and devices Research and Development.
“Professor Negishi will offer advice on the various areas of organic electronics research and development Sony is conducting at both internal and external research centers, by participating in research progress review meetings and through other opportunities,” states the company in its announcement.
“Through the involvement of such a renowned expert in this field, Sony aims to stimulate its researchers in their organics electronics research and development, and accelerate their R&D processes as a result.”
the main areas that Sony thinks will progress thanks to the professor's expertise are OLED, flexible OLED and next-generation rechargeable batteries.
What remains to be seen is if the company manages to surprise the industry with anything particularly revolutionary in the near future.