Energy shop talk: Arun Majumdar on disruptive energy innovation

Beth Cohen ( Bio  /   Posts )  |  Thursday, February 09, 2012 UTC

This week, we're highlighting a few people within the PopTech network who are working on the forefront of disruptive energy innovations, utilizing new technologies, models and scientific discoveries.

Dr. Arun Majumdar is a busy and important man. Appointed by President Obama, Majumdar is the very first Director of the country's only agency, ARPA-E, devoted to energy research and development that focuses on high risk, high reward technologies promising genuine transformation in the ways we generate, store and utilize energy. 

While he got into the energy field because he grew up during the energy crisis of the 70s (some of you may remember the long lines, the searching for gas stations that still had gas, the system of buying gas on odd or even days depending on the last number on your license plate), Majumdar remains in the energy field because it provides him with a way to "give back". His most deeply held belief about energy? The world is in transition with phenomenal changes in all fields, and US leaders in science and engineering - "the best in the world" - need to innovate in the energy space to enable the rest of the world to turn toward a future that will sustain the world's population growth and enable economic growth. "That's the biggest business opportunity for the United States of the 21st century."

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