Anne L'Huillier, Gerteric Lindquist, Bo Normark and Xiaodong Zou are awarded IVA's Gold Medals 2024

"This year's gold medallists stand for outstanding contributions in laser technology, heat pumps, energy storage and nanotechnology. This is truly technology in the service of humanity, something that IVA has been working towards for over 100 years," says Tuula Teeri, president of IVA.

Anne L'Huillier

Anne L'Huillier, born in 1958, received her master's degree in mathematics and physics at the École Normale Supérieure in 1979. After receiving her doctorate from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in 1986, she began her research career. Since 1997 she has been a professor of physics at Lund University. Anne L'Huillier was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023 and has been a fellow of IVA since 2012.

Jury citation: "Professor Anne L'Huillier is awarded IVA's Great Gold Medal for her development of new laser techniques for the generation of ultra-short light pulses, and studies of ultrafast physical processes in atoms and matter. Her frontline research has increased the understanding of the dynamics of electrons in atoms and matter on the attosecond scale with applications in electronics, chemical reactions and nanotechnology, among others."

Gerteric Lindquist

Gerteric Lindquist born 1951 and Master of Science in Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in 1974 and Master of Science in Economics at Uppsala University. Managing Director of NIBE since 1988. Gerteric Lindqvist has been a regular member of IVA's Business Executives Council since 2018.

Jury citation: "CEO Gerteric Lindquist is awarded IVA's Gold Medal for his unique contribution to developing the company NIBE over 40 years from a small company in Småland to become a world-leading company in the field of heat pumps. Gerteric Lindquist's contribution as a business leader and business developer is one of the unique business leadership efforts of the past 40 years. He has combined powerful leadership with great business acumen."

Bo Normark

Bo Normark, born 1947, MSc in Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in 1971, developed HVDC technology at ABB and led the European Battery Alliance. He has held leading roles in Svenska kraftnät, Industrifonden, and was awarded an honorary doctorate at KTH in 2021. For more than 10 years, he has played a key role in EIT InnoEnergy. Bo Normark has been a fellow of IVA since 2008.

Jury citation: "Bo Normark, PhD, is awarded IVA's Gold Medal for his efforts in smart grids and battery systems as he has had a central impact on the development of energy storage and electrification in Sweden and Europe. He has been, and still is, a driving force in inspiring Swedish and international technology development in electric power and electrification."

Xiaodong Zou

Xiaodong Zou, born in 1964, received her master's degree in China in 1986 and her doctorate in 1995 at Stockholm University. She has been a professor of structural chemistry at Stockholm University since 2005 and is a fellow of IVA since 2017, as well as a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry since 2021.

Jury citation: "Professor Xiaodong Zou is awarded IVA's Gold Medal for her contribution to developing methods for rapid structural determination of small crystals of inorganic, porous and organic materials and for her contribution to the development of porous materials for more efficient chemical and fuel production and carbon capture. She has shown how purposeful realization of a scientific vision can be combined with committed supervision and mentoring of a large number of doctoral students and young researchers."

IVA's Great Gold Medal will be awarded at the Assembly of the Academy on 17 September. In connection with this, Anne L'Huillier will give a lecture (in Swedish). Read more and sign up here

IVA's Gold Medals will be awarded at IVA's Annual Meeting on 25 October. Read more here.

Annual award

Gold medals are awarded every year to people who, through outstanding deeds, have contributed to creating a better society.

IVA's Great Gold Medal is awarded to the person who has made a particularly outstanding deed within the academy's field of activity.

IVA's Gold Medal is awarded for meritorious work within the academy's field of activity.

Decisions on who will be awarded are made by the Academy Assembly, based on proposals prepared by the Medal Committee whose members are appointed by the Presidium.