Giorgos Fagas

In a world of increasing global energy demand, ICT and consumer electronics account for one of the fastest growing sectors of energy consumption. It is projected that by 2030 the global energy use by just residential electronic gadgets could rise to 1,700TWh, greater than the current electricity generation capacity of the third largest producer in the world. On the other hand, miniaturised electronic systems applied in ambient intelligence, point-of-care diagnostics, supply-chain control and chemical warfare can potentially achieve large cost/energy savings with additional huge societal impact. The major challenges also come in dual form, namely: (i) energy needs to be harvested from sustainable ambient sources and (ii) the use of energy needs to be optimised.

Recent advances in ICT have been enabled by materials design and fabrication at the nanoscale. In this talk, I will provide examples of how nanotechnology and design at the smallest scales can enhance the efficiency of energy harvesters and the properties of electronic devices for energy-sustainability, beyond traditional approaches. I will also highlight the symbiotic relationship with computational modelling and simulations and the need for co-design.