Geoffrey Ballard

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Geoffrey Ballard, CM, OBC (born 1932) is a Canadian businessman and the founder of Ballard Power Systems, where he served as chairman until 1997. His work, along of that of his fellow founders of Ballard Power, on PEMFC development is his most well-known.

Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, he is acknowledged worldwide as the father of the fuel cell industry. He has numerous publications and patents to his credit and is a Member of the Order of Canada. In 2003, he was awarded the Order of British Columbia. He has received international awards for his achievements, and is an invited guest of honour and keynote speaker to world technology events.

In 1979, his vision was to create an alternative non-polluting source of energy. In 1993, the world's first hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered, zero-emission transit bus was introduced at Science World in Vancouver.

In 1999, he was named by Time Magazine as 'Hero of the Planet'. In 2002, he was named 'Business Leader of the Year' from Scientific American. He serves as chair of the Canadian Hydrogen Association and as an Advisory Board member for the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California. He received the World Technology Network Award in Energy in 1999, and in Environment in 2000. He also received the Gutenberg International Environment prize in Sweden in 2000.

Dr. Ballard is a graduate of Queen's University and received a doctorate in earth and planetary sciences from Washington University in St. Louis in 1963. He has also been awarded numerous honorary degrees.

Dr. Ballard is currently involved with his new company General Hydrogen which is working on the distribution of hydrogen and hydrogen technology.

Quotation

"It will take a combined effort of academia, government, and industry to bring about the change from a gasoline economy to a hydrogen economy. The forces are building and progress is being made. It is of major importance that a change of this magnitude not be forced on unwilling participants, but that all of us work together for an economically viable path to change."

Geoffrey Ballard, World Hydrogen Energy Conference