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.

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

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

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

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.

APEC 2026 | EPC and Yole Group on the Next Wave of GaN Adoption Friday, April 17, 20260

APEC 2026 | EPC and Yole Group on the Next Wave of GaN Adoption

In this video, Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio met Roy Dagher, Technology & Market Analyst for compound semiconductors at Yole Group, during APEC in San Antonio at the EPC booth. They discussed the evolution of the GaN power electronics market, focusing on reliability, supply chain maturity, and manufacturing challenges. The conversation covered key applications such as fast chargers, AI data centers, and automotive, and highlighted how GaN has been rapidly moving from consumer devices into high‑power infrastructure markets.

APEC GaN Wine Lounge: Alix Paultre on Why GaN Will Win Friday, April 10, 20260

APEC GaN Wine Lounge: Alix Paultre on Why GaN Will Win

At APEC in San Antonio, Texas, the world’s leading power electronics conference, Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio met with Alix Paultre, IEEE editor and veteran technology observer, for a wide-ranging conversation in the GaN Wine Lounge at EPC. Alix shares his journey from Cold War electronic warfare and signal intelligence to covering advanced gallium nitride (GaN) solutions, explaining how GaN is transforming power architectures, efficiency, and power density. They discuss EPC’s role in legitimizing GaN, where GaN will win decisively, and why power is always “personal” - from data centers and consumer devices to winemaking, plastics, and many other real-world applications.

GaN’s Expanding Role in Power Electronics: A Conversation with Lee Goldberg at APEC Tuesday, April 7, 20260

GaN’s Expanding Role in Power Electronics: A Conversation with Lee Goldberg at APEC

At the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in San Antonio - Texas, Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) spoke with Lee Goldberg, contributing editor at Electronic Design, about the evolution of GaN and its growing impact on power electronics. Goldberg highlighted EPC’s pioneering role in advancing enhancement-mode GaN and helping move the industry from early uncertainty toward broader adoption beyond silicon. He also shared perspectives on sustainability, integration trends, and the enduring importance of human insight in engineering journalism during a time of rapid technological change.

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