– For Pioneering Contributions to Conception and Development of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and Leadership in Its Practical Application –
TOKYO, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Honda Foundation has selected Dr. Kenichi Iga (honorary professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo and 18th president of former Tokyo Institute of Technology), as the recipient of the 2025 Honda Prize. The international award in science and technology honors his pioneering work in conceiving the Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and his contributions to advancing fundamental research and practical applications. The foundation is a public interest incorporated foundation established by Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and his younger brother Benjiro.
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In 1980, the Honda Foundation established the Honda Prize to acknowledge research achievements that contribute to “the creation of a truly humane civilization.” Foreseeing the new potential of ecotechnology,*1 the Honda Prize is Japan’s first international award for scientific and technological achievements across a wide range of academic fields, encompassing the entire research process from discovery and invention to application and widespread usage.
In 2025, the 46th Honda Prize will be awarded to Dr. Iga for his conception of VCSEL in 1977 and his pioneering contributions to its development and practical applications. The award ceremony will take place at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, on November 17, 2025. In addition to the prize medal and diploma, Dr. Iga will receive 10 million yen in prize money.
*1 Ecotechnology: Human-friendly philosophy founded on science and technology and designed to harmonize the natural and human environments and find resolutions to social issues, adopting a methodology that implies something more than just “being friendly to the Earth,” which is the meaning usually associated with the word “ecology.”
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What is VCSEL
VCSEL, with a vertical resonator, is more compact than conventional Edge Emitting Laser (EEL), allowing dense integration, stable single-wavelength oscillation, mass production, continuous wavelength tuning and low power consumption. These features drive innovations in optoelectronics, including high-speed data communication, fiber optics, 3D facial recognition, computer mouses and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems for autonomous vehicles.
When Dr. Iga first proposed VCSEL, his concept was met with skepticism from both academia and industry due to concerns about its feasibility. However, through persistent research and continuous advocacy, Dr. Iga and his team gradually established global recognition for this innovative technology. In 1988, his collaborator, Dr. Fumio Koyama, later a professor at former Tokyo Institute of Technology (now the Institute of Science Tokyo), achieved the first room-temperature continuous-wave operation of a VCSEL—a decisive step toward its commercialization. Since the late 1990s, VCSELs have been industrialized worldwide, transforming modern optoelectronics and shaping numerous industries.
– Details of achievement commentaries and past Honda Prize laureates
Please see the Honda Foundation official website.
Official Website: https://www.hondafoundation.jp/en/index.html
Achievement Commentary:
https://www.hondafoundation.jp/commemoration/index_en/285/year:2025
Honda Prize Laureates: https://www.hondafoundation.jp/en/winner.html
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SOURCE Honda Foundation
