Faculty members of the Center for Materials Innovation and Technology (CMIT) met with Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend during the VinFuture 2025 scientific event to discuss the Center’s research programs and strategic directions. As a key scientific advisory member of CMIT, Professor Friend provided valuable insights and guidance on the Center’s long-term development, particularly in advancing research excellence and strengthening workforce training in materials science and technology.

Professor Friend is Chair of the VinFuture Prize Council and a world-renowned physicist. He is Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability and the Maxwell Centre. He is widely recognized for pioneering research on organic polymers and the electronic properties of molecular semiconductors. Among his many honors, Professor Friend is a recipient of the Millennium Technology Prize for the development of plastic electronics. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, recognized for his contributions to science, engineering, and the commercialization of organic polymer semiconductor devices.