In its eighth year, Design World’s LEAP Awards showcase the best engineering innovations across several design categories. This wouldn’t be possible without the commitment and support of the engineering community. The editorial team assembles OEM design engineers and academics each year to create an independent judging panel. Below is their selection for this year’s LEAP Awards winners in the Power Electronics category.
Congratulations to the LEAP Awards for Power Electronics winners, who are profiled here:
Gold
Infineon Technologies
World’s first 300m GaN wafer technology
Infineon is the first company in the world to master this groundbreaking technology in an existing and scalable high-volume manufacturing environment. The breakthrough will help substantially drive the market for GaN-based power semiconductors. Chip production on 300 mm wafers is technologically more advanced and significantly more efficient compared to 200 mm wafers, since the bigger wafer diameter offers 2.3 times more chips per wafer. GaN-based power semiconductors find fast adoption in industrial, automotive, and consumer, computing & communication applications, including power supplies for AI systems, solar inverters, chargers and adapters, and motor-control systems. State-of-the-art GaN manufacturing processes lead to improved device performance resulting in benefits in end customers’ applications as it enables efficiency performance, smaller size, lighter weight, and lower overall cost. 300 mm manufacturing ensures superior customer supply stability through scalability. Infineon has succeeded in manufacturing 300 mm GaN wafers
on an integrated pilot line in its existing 300 mm silicon production in its power fab in Austria. Infineon will further scale GaN capacity aligned with market needs. 300 mm GaN manufacturing will put Infineon in a position to shape the growing GaN market, which is estimated to reach several billion US dollars by the end of the decade. This pioneering technological success underlines Infineon’s position as a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. Infineon is implementing 300 mm GaN to strengthen existing and enable new solutions with an increasingly cost-effective value proposition and the ability to address the full range of customer systems.
Silver
Dukosi Ltd
Dukosi Cell Monitoring System (DKCMS™)
The Dukosi Cell Monitoring System (DKCMS™) is an innovative, contactless, cell-level monitoring solution that is transforming high-power battery management. It significantly enhances performance, reliability, safety, and scalability, while supporting a sustainable battery value chain. At its core, DKCMS utilizes chip-on-cell technology for taking accurate, synchronous voltage and temperature measurements of every cell. This in-depth data is communicated to the Battery Management System (BMS) with deterministic latency, greatly improving State of Charge (SoC) and State of Health (SoH) estimates and extracting more usable energy. DKCMS’s novel contactless architecture eliminates traditional wiring, overcoming physical limitations and freeing design constraints. This approach offers greater safety, design flexibility, and scalability, applicable to all cell types (cylindrical, pouch, prismatic) and chemistries. The system, comprising DK8102 Cell Monitors, DK8202 System Hub, and DKCMS Library API, uses Dukosi’s proprietary C-SynQ® communication protocol for robust, secure data transfer via a single bus antenna. This not only simplifies battery design and reduces component count by up to 10x, leading to lower costs, but also enhances reliability and safety by removing potential failure points. On-cell data storage provides lifetime traceability, crucial for Battery Passport regulations and promoting a circular economy for second-life applications and material recovery. DKCMS’s inherent electrical isolation, precise cell-level monitoring, and enhanced data synchronization distinguish it from competitors. By offering a solution that simplifies scalability, enhances battery intelligence, and ensures reliability, DKCMS is a game-changer for electric vehicles, industrial transportation, and stationary energy storage systems – delivering positive economic, social, and environmental impact for decades to come.
Bronze
Moog Construction
Adaptive Electrification Management System (AEMS)
The Adaptive Electrification Management System (AEMS) is a modular, integrated power electronics platform designed to simplify and accelerate the electrification of off-highway vehicles. Developed and tested with leading OEMs like Doosan Bobcat and CASE Construction, AEMS is a production-ready solution that delivers performance, scalability, and cost efficiency. The High Voltage Distribution Module routes DC power from the machine’s energy source—such as a battery, diesel generator, or hydrogen fuel cell—to high-demand functions like digging or propulsion. It includes an integrated brake controller that recaptures regenerative energy, even when the battery is fully charged, eliminating the need for resistive dissipation. Single and Dual Inverter modules convert DC to AC for electric motor control. The Dual Inverter powers two independent axes from one unit, reducing component count and system complexity. A high-efficiency DCDC module steps down high-voltage DC to 12V or 24V for auxiliary systems. The central Controller manages machine kinematics, automation, diagnostics, and IoT connectivity, with support for over-the-air updates. Mechanical innovations—such as an integrated high-voltage busbar and internal coolant manifold—eliminate external cables and hoses. Compared to traditional systems that require around 100 cables, AEMS reduces this to 30, a 70% reduction. This significantly lowers installation time, material cost, failure points, and physical footprint. AEMS sets a new benchmark in off-highway electrification by delivering a compact, intelligent, and future-ready solution tailored to the evolving needs of OEMs and their customers.
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