GaN Wine Lounge. GaN stories, insights, and people

GaN Wine Lounge

GaN Wine Lounge is a relaxed video conversation series where we talk GaN - and beyond - with our customers, academic partners, editors, and EPC team members over a virtual glass of wine. In an informal, friendly atmosphere, we share real-world experiences, lessons learned, and fresh ideas. We also include short lab episodes, offering a behind-the-scenes look at experiments and real applications of EPC solutions. Together, we build connections, inspire collaboration, and celebrate the people and technologies shaping the future of GaN.

Scaling AI Power with GaN: Inside the Renesas–EPC Alliance

Scaling AI Power with GaN: Inside the Renesas–EPC Alliance

This session explores how the second‑source and licensing agreement between Renesas and EPC is accelerating GaN adoption in AI data centers, automotive, robotics, and industrial applications. The speakers examine the shift to new “grid‑to‑core” 800 V DC architectures and show how low‑voltage GaN enables higher efficiency and power density. They discuss multi‑sourcing strategies, internal wafer fabrication for low‑voltage GaN, and the crucial role of advanced packaging and thermo‑mechanical reliability. The panel closes with a clear outlook on how this partnership will shape the next generation of GaN‑based power systems.

The Power of GaN for Motor Drives

The Power of GaN for Motor Drives

In this interview, WBG TechnoBite founder Qian Luo talks with EPC's Chen Hu about why GaN is becoming a game-changer for motor drives. They explore how GaN's fast switching, high efficiency, and compact integration enable smaller, quieter, and more precise motor systems—from industrial automation and robotics to e-mobility and appliances. The conversation also covers design trade-offs, thermal benefits, and how China's ecosystem is accelerating GaN adoption, offering engineers a practical look at where wide-bandgap motor drive technology is headed.

Nexperia & EPC on GaN: Performance, Reliability, and Industry Collaboration

Nexperia & EPC on GaN: Performance, Reliability, and Industry Collaboration

At the GaN Wine Lounge at PCIM Nuremberg, Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio moderated a discussion with Alex Lidow, CEO and Co-Founder of EPC, and Roberto Crisafulli, Head of GaN Marketing and Applications at Nexperia. They explained how GaN is rapidly displacing silicon MOSFETs in AI power delivery, motor drives, robotics, and data centers due to its higher efficiency, power density, and switching frequency. They also stressed the need for ecosystem collaboration and proper qualification standards, noting that GaN reliability is now well understood, enabling mainstream adoption.

Advancing Power Electronics: EPC’s GaN with Microchip’s Digital Controllers

Advancing Power Electronics: EPC’s GaN with Microchip’s Digital Controllers

This video features Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio, Marcom Director at EPC, interviewing Alex Lidow, CEO of EPC, and Fanie Duvenhage, Senior Vice President at Microchip Technology, about their collaboration on a 5 kW PFC converter. They discuss how EPC’s GaN devices and Microchip’s advanced digital control enable multilevel topologies that deliver higher power density, improved efficiency, and compact form factors for AI and other demanding power applications. The speakers also share key lessons from their joint projects and outline future directions in low‑voltage, high‑frequency GaN and high‑voltage wide‑bandgap systems.
Inside GaN Power Design: Finepower and EPC on Topologies, Magnetics & Reliability

Inside GaN Power Design: Finepower and EPC on Topologies, Magnetics & Reliability

In this video, Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio talks with Tobias Fuhr, Power Electronics Expert at Finepower, about how gallium nitride (GaN) from EPC is reshaping modern power conversion. They discuss when and why to choose EPC’s eGaN FETs over silicon, how GaN impacts converter topology and magnetics design, and what it means for efficiency, reliability, and power density in real applications - from automotive and avionics to AI data centers. They also look ahead at bi-directional GaN, multi-level architectures, and future converter trends.

Pushing Power Density Limits: BrightLoop’s GaN Journey with EPC

Pushing Power Density Limits: BrightLoop’s GaN Journey with EPC

In this episode of GaN Wine Lounge, host Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio talks with Florent Liffran, CEO of BrightLoop, about how GaN technology enables ultra-compact, high power density converters for demanding applications like Formula 1 and Formula E. They explore the transition from silicon to EPC GaN, packaging challenges, efficiency vs. density, and the future of high-voltage GaN power architectures.

GaN for AI Data Centers and Space: Insights from UT Austin’s Alex Huang Friday, May 8, 20260

GaN for AI Data Centers and Space: Insights from UT Austin’s Alex Huang

In this video from APEC in San Antonio, Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio sat down with Prof. Alex Huang from the University of Texas at Austin to discuss the evolution of power electronics. They talked about the transition from early MOSFETs and IGBTs to superjunction devices and the latest GaN innovations. Alex shared how GaN had already transformed AI data centers, high‑density power conversion, and emerging applications in space and fusion power, offering insights and advice for young engineers.

Inside EPC’s GaN Revolution: AI, Automotive, and Motor Drives with Nick Cataldo Friday, May 1, 20260

Inside EPC’s GaN Revolution: AI, Automotive, and Motor Drives with Nick Cataldo

Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio here at the APEC conference in San Antonio, Texas, speaking with Nick Cataldo, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at EPC. In this video, we dive into the evolution of GaN technology, from its early niche applications like LIDAR and wireless power to its growing role in AI servers, automotive, drones, and motor drives. Nick shares insights from over 35 years in power electronics, explains how GaN is challenging traditional silicon and silicon carbide, and introduces EPC’s latest innovations, including the new EPC91121 motor drive board and EPC 2366 device.

From Silicon to GaN: Nihal Kularatna Explains the Next Era of Power Conversion Friday, April 24, 20260

From Silicon to GaN: Nihal Kularatna Explains the Next Era of Power Conversion

In this video from APEC in San Antonio, Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio interviews Professor Nihal Kularatna from the University of Waikato, a renowned expert with over 50 years of experience in electronics engineering. The discussion explores the wide bandgap revolution, highlighting how GaN devices are transforming power converter design. Professor Kularatna explains his work on supercapacitor-assisted converters, the growing power challenges of AI and data centers, and his vision for DC microgrids, DC-powered homes, and renewable-centric energy systems.

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