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Two Renowned European Solar Visionaries and Pioneers, Prof. Dr. Şener Oktik and Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, Honored with the World CleanTech Awards - Edition 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards

Updated: Jul 4


The 10th CBC Anniversary Black-Gala #TogetherWeAreStrogner held recently at the iconic Künstler House in Munich, Germany, featured the World CleanTech Awards (WCA2023), which honoured visionary pioneers in the field.


Following the first “WCA 2023 KAUST Ceremony,” held on January 23, 2024, at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), which showcased pioneers and emerging stars in Clean Technology and Clean Hydrogen, the second ceremony in Munich honored two renowned European solar visionaries and pioneers with the World CleanTech Awards - Edition 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards. These distinguished individuals are Prof. Dr. Şener Oktik, known as the "Father of Renewables in Turkey," and Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, who established the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) activity on photovoltaics during the early stages of Europe’s research and pilot program for photovoltaic systems.


Prof. Dr. Şener Oktik - Winner of the World CleanTech Awards - Edition 2023 Special Lifetime Achievement Award

Prof. Dr. Şener Oktik graduated from Ankara University with a degree in Physics in 1976 and an M.Eng. in Applied

Physics in 1977. He earned his Ph.D. from Durham University (UK) in 1982. He became an Associate Professor in 1986 and a full Professor in 1995.

He has held positions at Durham University (UK), Lecce University (Italy), Stuttgart University (Germany), Selçuk University, Muğla University, and Kadir Has University (Türkiye). He served as President/Rector of Muğla University from 2002 to 2010.


Prof. Oktik has extensive industrial research experience with BP Solar, Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (ICI), and the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW-Germany). He is involved in several advisory committees and scientific societies, including the International Commission on Glass (ICG) and the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (EU-PVSEC).


Nationally, he is the Honorary Chairman of the Turkish Solar Energy Industry Association and a member of the Turkish Clean Energy Foundation. He is also on the Board of Directors of Şişecam and Birleşim Yeşil Enerji. Currently, he is a Senior Lecturer at Maltepe University and has authored over 100 scientific publications and holds two world patents.


We are proud that Prof. Dr. Şener Oktik also serves as the Honorary Chair of the CleanTech Business Club in Turkey.


Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink - Winner of the World CleanTech Awards - Edition 2023 Special Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Hahn Meitner Institute, Berlin, and joined the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in 1982. He developed the JRC’s activity on photovoltaics during the early stages of Europe’s research and pilot program for photovoltaic systems. In 1995, he became Head of the Unit for Renewable Energy, expanding research and support activities to include Energy Efficiency and Bio-Energy, particularly Biofuels. His work was pivotal in providing scientific support for EU legislation on Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency. More recently, he has focused on supporting Africa’s renewable energy initiatives.


Since 1982, he has contributed to the IEC TC82 standards work for Solar Photovoltaic Systems, particularly in calibrating reference cells and lifetime testing of PV modules. His numerous publications address measurement and testing methods for photovoltaic generators, economic assessments of renewable energy, and the global environmental impacts of bio-fuel use.


Dr. Ossenbrink has served in scientific committees and as chairperson of leading scientific conferences, such as the prestigious European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conferences and the European Biomass Conferences.



Sincere Congratulations on behalf of the entire CBC Community!


Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Şener Oktik and Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink on behalf of the entire CBC Community. Without the dedication and contributions of individuals like them, scaling up the solar industry by 2000 times in just two decades would not have been possible.


See Pictures Gallery from the CBC's 10th Anniversary Black-Tie Gala HERE





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