Akira Yoshino, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019

Akira Yoshino (吉野 彰, Yoshino Akira, born 30 January 1948) is a Japanese chemist. He is a fellow of Asahi Kasei Corporation and a professor at Meijo University in Nagoya. He created the first safe, production-viable lithium-ion battery which became used widely in cellular phones and notebook computers. Yoshino was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 alongside M. Stanley Whittingham and John B. Goodenough.

Early life and education

Yoshino was born in Suita, Japan, on 30 January 1948. He graduated from Kitano High School in Osaka City (1966). He earned a B.S. (1970) and an M.S. (1972) in engineering from Kyoto University, and earned a doctorate in engineering from Osaka University in 2005.

During his college years, Yoshino had attended a course taught by Kenichi Fukui, the first Asian to become a Nobel Laureate in chemistry.

Career

Yoshino spent his entire non-academic career at Asahi Kasei Corporation. Immediately after graduating with his master's degree in 1972, Yoshino began working at Asahi Kasei. He began work in the Kawasaki Laboratory in 1982 and was promoted to manager of product development for ion batteries in 1992. In 1994, he became manager of technical development for the LIB manufacturer A&T Battery Corp., a joint venture company of Asahi Kasei and Toshiba. Asahi Kasei made him a fellow in 2003 and, in 2005, general manager of his own laboratory. Since 2017, he has been a professor at Meijo University and his status at Asahi Kasei has changed to honorary fellow.

Recognition

• 1998 Chemical Technology Prize from the Chemical Society of Japan
• 1999: Battery Division Technology Award from The Electrochemical Society
• 2001: Ichimura Prizes in Industry—Meritorious Achievement Prize
• 2003: Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology—Prize for Science and Technology, Development Category
• 2004: Medal with Purple Ribbon, from the Government of Japan
• 2011: Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize from the Foundation for Promotion of Material Science and Technology of Japan
• 2011: C&C Prize from the NEC C&C Foundation
• 2012 : IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies from the IEEE
• 2013 : Global Energy Prize
• 2014 : Charles Stark Draper Prize
• 2018 : Japan Prize
• 2019 : European Inventor Award
• 2019 : Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• 2019 : Order of Culture