Dr Michaël Merlin’s research with IONATE on our Hybrid Intelligent Transformer technology was awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering’s Industrial Fellowship. The scheme supports the most successful synergies between industry and academia and allows Dr Merlin to dedicate 40% of his research time to IONATE for the next two years.
Pictured: Michaël Merlin (right) with IONATE engineer Sebastian Fernandez and Founder & CEO Matthew Williams.
Michaël Merlin is a renowned expert in power converters and hybrid transformers. His academic career brought him from France (Institut Universitaire de Belfort-Montbéliard and ENSEA) first to London’s Imperial College – where his PhD thesis was awarded the department’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis – and subsequently to the University of Edinburgh, where he is currently a Lecturer in Power Systems.
Parallel to his position at Edinburgh, Dr Merlin has been working with IONATE since the company’s early days. The Modular Power Electronics lab in the University’s School of Engineering housed the first benchtop prototype of IONATE’s Hybrid Intelligent Transformer. There, Michaël and his team were integral in demonstrating the technology concept, turning simulation into physical device.
This partnership strengthens, as IONATE begins its next stage of growth. Beyond the engineering work, Old College Capital, the University of Edinburgh’s venture arm became an investor in IONATE’s recent £3.3 million Seed round, while IONATE is currently co-sponsoring an PhD studentship at the School of Engineering. Thanks to the Fellowship, IONATE now enjoys an even closer collaboration with Dr Merlin.