The NEWGEN consortium is proud to celebrate a remarkable achievement by our project partner, Professor Giovanni Mazzanti from Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, who has been awarded the prestigious Thomas W. Dakin Distinguished Technical Contributions Award by the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society (DEIS).
Presented every two years, the Dakin Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding and original contributions to advancing the science and technology of dielectrics and electrical insulation. Established in 1978, the award honors the legacy of Thomas W. Dakin, one of the most influential scientists in the field.
The award ceremony took place on 24 June 2026 during the Gala Dinner of the 2026 IEEE International Conference on Dielectrics (ICD 2026), where the award was presented by Professor Akiko Kumada, President of IEEE DEIS.
Professor Mazzanti received the 2026 IEEE DEIS Dakin Award
As part of the ICD conference programme, Professor Mazzanti delivered a keynote lecture highlighting recent advances in electro-thermal life and reliability modelling of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable systems. His presentation explored both the theoretical foundations and practical applications of reliability assessment methods for HVDC insulation systems.
Among the key topics discussed were:
- The IPM-Arrhenius life model under constant electrical and thermal stresses
- Statistical approaches to insulation volume enlargement and system reliability
- Accelerated lifetime testing of polypropylene-based insulation materials
- Novel algorithms for lifetime prediction under transient electrical and thermal stresses
- Comparisons between empirical and physics-based life models
- Studies on transient overvoltages and switching impulses affecting HVDC cable performance
- Future research directions in electrical insulation lifetime modelling
Professor Mazzanti’s work has played a pivotal role in advancing the understanding of the performance, reliability, and durability of HVDC cable systems, supporting the development of next-generation electricity transmission infrastructure.