Professor Harald Haas: Edinburgh's '˜father of LiFi'

Credited with coining the term “LiFi” – the use of light to transmit data – Professor Harald Haas has received global recognition for his work on the technology.

The co-founder and chief scientific officer of PureLiFi, which was formed in 2012 as a spin-off from the University of Edinburgh, was presented with the International Solid State Lighting Alliance (ISA) award for outstanding achievement in December by Shuji Nakamura, winner of the 2014 Nobel prize for physics.

The accolade, handed out at the 13th International Forum on Solid State Lighting in Beijing, related to Haas’s contribution to diversifying the applications of solid state lighting (SSL) technology.

“It has been such a great honour to receive this prestigious award, which I would like to devote to everyone who supported me on this 14-year journey,” Haas said.

“LiFi is like an undiscovered beach full of pebble stones – under each stone there is something new and exciting to discover, and what is really thrilling is that these discoveries can change our lives and create massive commercial opportunities.”

LiFi, which stands for “light fidelity”, has the potential to be significantly faster than current wifi systems and can turn everyday lamps into wireless internet access points. US researchers estimate the market for the technology could be worth almost £6 billion by 2020.

PureLifi is now carrying out a major trial of its system in Singapore. Its tie-up with the city state’s Info-communications Development Media Authority marks the first time a city has embraced the technology on such a large scale.

The project in Singapore comes after the country’s sovereign wealth fund, Temasek, led a funding round that took the total raised by PureLiFi to more than £7 million.

Announcing its award, ISA’s jury said that Haas, who established the world’s first LiFi research and development centre at the University of Edinburgh in 2013, has “not only pioneered the novel concept of communication by lighting devices, but also publicised the technology earning him the recognition as the father of LiFi”.

“This is a considerable contribution to diversify the applications of SSL technology and open up new markets,” they added. “His scientific-technical achievement certainly deserves to be awarded.”

PureLiFi chief executive Alistair Banham said: “The honour Professor Harald Haas has received from this important organisation is a real indication of his contribution to science and technology as a whole. Harald is the global thought leader in LiFi and the path to innovation he has created for us will change the way the world connects in a high-speed wireless future.”