Power Up

Power electronics is driving major shifts like EV powertrains, AI data centers, and industrial electrification—but module performance and reliability also hinge on “behind-the-scenes” materials. Critical elements like die attach, encapsulants, and thermal interface materials can determine whether a power module withstands years of thermal cycling, high current, and harsh operating conditions. On PowerUP, you’ll be joined by Burcak Conley (Head of Application Engineering for North America & Europe at Henkel) to discuss what’s driving demand and how packaging materials are evolving to meet higher thermal and reliability needs. You’ll also explore where Henkel sees the biggest opportunities ahead in this space.

HVAC systems are notoriously power hungry, contribution to a major portion of household electricity expenses. Modernizing these systems with wireless connectivity to enable smart remote monitoring and control is key to reducing energy usage. Furthermore, smart HVAC units can be integrated with both local energy grids to reduce energy costs and the broader smart home wireless ecosystem to encourage interoperability

Today’s discussion is on one of the most important transformations happening in the automotive industry: the shift from traditional 12-volt electrical systems to modern 48-volt architectures. For decades, 12V has been the backbone of vehicle electronics, but with the rise of electrification, ADAS, infotainment, and software-defined cars, the industry is moving toward more powerful and efficient solutions.To help us explore this exciting transition, I’m pleased to introduce our guest, Madison Ecklund, Systems Manager in the Automotive Body Electronics and Lighting Systems team at Texas Instruments. Madison brings deep expertise in automotive power management and system design, and is responsible for Zone Control Modules and Power Distribution Boxes. She holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Vanderbilt University. She has experience in EMI/EMC compliance, 48V low voltage architectures, and automotive ethernet in-vehicle network evolution.

As electrification expands across sectors like solar energy, electric vehicles, and smart grids, the focus is shifting toward architectures that are more efficient, more compact, and more intelligent. Trends like fewer conversion stages, higher voltage buses, and bidirectional energy flow are reshaping the design landscape. In this conversation, we speak with Marco Ruggeri, Senior Manager of the Power System Architecture Team and Pietro Scalia, the Head of System Application and Marketing for Power , both of Renesas Electronics. They share insights into Renesas’ single-stage, bidirectional GaN-based microinverter and how it could redefine the future of energy conversion and distributed power systems.

Welcome to today’s podcast, where we explore the dynamic world of Industrial MCUs with Marijana Vukicevic, Marketing Director for Industrial MCU at Infineon.Today’s episode is brought to you by our sponsor, Infineon.Today, it’s a pleasure to have a special guest, Marijana Vukicevic, joining us to discuss the evolving role of microcontrollers (MCUs) in high-performance motor control and power conversion applications.As industries shift from analog to digital power systems, MCUs are at the heart of enabling higher efficiency, faster switching, and real-time processing—critical for applications like robotics, industrial automation, and high-density power supplies for data centers. With switching frequencies increasing from 200 kHz to 600 kHz and beyond, the demand for ultra-fast, well-architected microcontrollers is greater than ever.In this episode, we’ll explore how Infineon’s MCUs are addressing these challenges, particularly in robotics and AI-powered motor control. We’ll also dive into the role of GaN-based power systems, the increasing power demands of server racks, and what the future of MCU architecture looks like for next-generation embedded systems.

Today, we are focusing on a key challenge in modern power design: delivering higher efficiency, reduced EMI, and advanced thermal management while minimizing size and complexity. Our speaker is Anton Winkler, a systems engineer and power modules technologist at Texas Instruments, who drives the development of new processes and technologies for power modules. During this podcast, we will discuss TI’s MagPack technology, which integrates magnetic packaging to deliver good power density, reduced EMI and improved thermal performance.

In today's PowerUp episode, we discuss silicon photonics and silicon carbide innovations with Christophe Maleville, CTO and senior executive VP of innovation at Soitec. Discover how these advancements enhance EV efficiency, reduce environmental impact and integrate cutting-edge optical functions with electronic circuits for high-speed data communications. With a Ph.D. in microelectronics from Grenoble Institute of Technology and an executive MBA from INSEAD, Maleville has authored or co-authored more than 30 papers and holds 30 patents.

In our latest episode of PowerUP, we had the pleasure of speaking with Maury Wood, VP of strategic marketing at Vicor. We delve into the cutting-edge solutions that are helping to mitigate the enormous energy demands of generative AI (GenAI). Maury shares insights into the staggering power requirements of large language models and the limitations of traditional power supply architectures.

In this episode of PowerUp, Jason Dubin, VP of Executive Search at SBT, discusses the semiconductor industry's evolving landscape, emphasizing power management integrated circuits (PMICs), wide-bandgap semiconductors and the critical need for specialized talent.

Integrating precise current sensing into wide-bandgap (WBG) power converters faces challenges due to space constraints, high sensing speeds and electromagnetic interference (EMI). In this podcast with Ali Parsa Sirat and Babak Parkhideh, from the Photovoltaic Integration Lab at UNC Charlotte, we explore the limitations and new methods to enhance sensor performance in WBG converters.

In this podcast, Nexperia’s Sebastian Fahlbusch, manager of the Power Product Application Competence Center, and Dilder Chowdhury, director of strategic marketing for power GaN technology, explore advancements in wide-bandgap technologies. They discuss the advantages of SiC MOSFETs and the benefits of GaN in industrial applications, as well as the main features of CCPAK packaging. They also mentioned a partnership with Mitsubishi to develop innovative power semiconductor solutions.

Gallium nitride (GaN) technology is revolutionizing diverse applications, from LiDAR systems to motor control. LiDAR employs pulsed lasers for precise distance measurement, generating detailed 3D images. In this episode of PowerUP featuring Alex Lidow, CEO of EPC, we delve into an examination of the revolutionary implications of GaN technology across a range of applications, with a specific focus on motor control and LiDAR systems. We investigate its function in LiDAR, where GaN-based FETs function as efficient laser-switching drivers. We also discover how GaN transistors enhance the efficacy and efficiency of motor control components, such as those found in e-bikes.