There has been a huge development since Frede Blaabjerg became professor in 1998. With the department, AAU Energy, which has gained a central role in the green transition and is internationally highly recognized for research in sustainable energy. With Aalborg University, having been named No. 1 Engineering University in Europe several years in a row. And with Frede himself, who over the years has achieved such a significant knowledge in power electronics that he has received more awards than it is possible to remember (somewhere between 65 and 70), and they continue to pour in. Thus, he now got one more. The Hitachi Energy "Pioneering Spirit Award 2023" was established in honour of Frede Blaabjerg's 25th anniversary as professor.

It was presented at the celebration of the anniversary. A celebration which of course was a professional gathering with topics such as how power electronics makes a CO2 neutral society possible and has influenced the green transition. The speakers were internationally leading researchers – from Japan, USA, China, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Canada, England, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Frede Blaabjerg is proud and honoured about the prizes and positions (see Prizes and Positions below), but very aware that it is the entire team behind and around him, which is being honoured, and he firmly believes there is an obligation to use the awards and positions to promote the university and the many researchers and engineers he has trained and worked with. More than 100 PhDs and post.doc researchers, and more than 200 visiting researchers, have worked with Frede Blaabjerg at AAU Energy.

25 years ago, electricity accounted for about a third of all energy consumption. Now it is growing towards two-thirds, because electricity is central to the green transition. This is only possible because of the technology that Frede Blaabjerg and colleagues, both at AAU and around the world, have worked with: the power electronics that, often invisibly, control the electrical energy, in smaller devices such as chargers and electric bike motors and a washing machines, as well as in electric cars, large data centres and the entire electricity grid, which requires exact and detailed management of huge power forces without wasting too much energy in the process.

This has become even more important because power is increasingly produced from solar cells and wind turbines and must be supplied into the electricity grid with balance between the production of power and consumption in companies and private homes. One way to keep the balance is to produce green fuels. It requires power electronics for the necessary electrolysis, and new materials, which Frede Blaabjerg is also involved in with a 13-year project in the new CAPeX pioneer center, which AAU and DTU runs jointly with Frede as one of the two leaders.

What drives Frede himself, and keeps him running at full effect, with precise control of how the forces are used and without great energy loss, is the motivation of seeing knowledge and research implemented into daily use in ordinary households – and the joy and satisfaction of following all those people he has helped educate and has worked with,  develop as scientists and engineers in companies. Many of them participated in the celebration.