Professor Claudio Paoloni of the School of Engineering has been awarded the 2025 John R Pierce Award for Excellence in Vacuum Electronics at the 26th International Vacuum Electronics Conference (IVEC) in Rotterdam.

The prestigious award was made by the IEEE Electron Device Society Vacuum Electronics Technical Committee “for visionary leadership to pioneer the integration of TWTs into the emerging field of sub-THz wireless networks and relentless dedication to the promotion of vacuum electronics.”

The award recognises the international standing of Professor Claudio Paoloni in the field of travelling wave tubes over a period of more than 25 years. His vision to first introduce sub-THz traveling wave tube in the emerging 5G network architecture - both terrestrial and spatial- has brought a breakthrough in wireless communications technology.

Professor Paoloni was also invited to offer the award lecture at the award ceremony at IVEC 2025.

Professor Paoloni said: “I am truly honoured and delighted to be awarded the John R Pierce Award. I am immensely grateful to my nominator, Professor Neville C. Luhmann Jr, University of California Davis (US), to the members of the EDS Vacuum Electronics Technical Committee and all colleagues, researchers and PhD students that over the years worked with me to progress the field of vacuum electronics in the thriving research environment at Lancaster University.”

Professor Paoloni was an influential Chair of the IEEE Electron Device Society Vacuum Electronics Technical Committee and member at Large of the EDS board of Governor and is EDS Distinguished Lecturer. He enthusiastically promotes vacuum electronics, the oldest electronic discipline dating from the early 19th century, and its renaissance by new technologies for a high societal impact especially in future 5G and 6G wireless networks.

He is the Chair of the Cockcroft Institute and Professor of Electronics at Lancaster University, where he was Head of Department and first Head of the School of Engineering from 2015 to 2022.

This is the second time a Lancaster Professor has received this award. Emeritus Professor Richard Carter was the recipient of the 2009 John R. Pierce Award. These successes demonstrate the international relevance of research on travelling wave tubes at Lancaster University.

The John R. Pierce Award for Excellence in Vacuum Electronics was established in 2002 to recognize outstanding contributions to the field. Anyone working in the field of vacuum electronics is eligible for this award, which will be presented each year during the IVEC International Vacuum Electronics Conference. Selection of the winner will be made by a vote of the members of the IEEE EDS Vacuum Electronics Technical Committee.