One of the founders of NorthStar Battery, Dr Frank Fleming, is the recipient of the 2019 International Lead Award at the 18th Asian Battery Conference (18ABC), recognising his outstanding lifetime contribution to the lead battery industry and his role inspiring new generations of lead battery innovators.
Dr Fleming’s career in the lead battery industry began as a sandwich-year student when he joined the UK-based battery manufacturer Chloride Technical Ltd.
During his career he served as Technical Director of Hawker Energy Products before becoming the company’s Global Director for Standby Development, overseeing the company’s products throughout Europe and the United States.
In 2000 he was one of the co-founders of NorthStar where for more than 16 years as Chief Technical Officer he oversaw design and quality assurance and the production of the company’s advanced lead batteries for telecommunications and uninterrupted power supplies.
Liverpool born Dr Fleming, 64, now works with Electric Applications Inc in Phoenix, Arizona, the hi-tech battery development and testing laboratory. In his role he provides consultancy, developing new business opportunities in advanced lead battery applications.
As a leading supporter and member of the Consortium for Battery Innovation he continues to demonstrate his passion for the industry through new research. He is currently responsible for the technical management of the lead battery consortium’s research being undertaken at the U.S government’s Argonne National Laboratory.
He said: “I’m very honoured to be recognised in this way. Working in this industry is like being part of a large worldwide family.
“I’m excited to still be contributing to an innovative industry which continues to push the boundaries of research and development. I think advanced lead batteries are key to the future of battery energy storage and electrification as the demand for safe and reliable battery storage is growing so rapidly. This has been recognised by the U.S government which is supporting our industry’s joint research programme through the national laboratories. As an industry we must recognise these opportunities and ensure our technology is part of the solution.”
“I also think young scientists and engineers can enjoy a great career in our industry because there is still so much to achieve in terms of the electro-chemistry and the technology. I hope this award will go some way to inspiring anyone considering a career in battery chemistries to join one of the many successful lead battery companies or research institutes.”
Commenting on the award, Don Karner, the President of EAI said: “Frank’s entire career has been spent advancing lead battery technology. His current work is on the cutting edge of lead battery science research. I congratulate Frank on his career of industry leadership and commend the ILA for recognizing Frank’s significant contributions to the lead battery industry.”
Each year the International Lead Award is presented to an individual who has made a major contribution in their working life to the lead or lead battery industries.
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31/01/2024
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