Geneva, Switzerland, 2021-10-07 – The IEC has awarded the 2021 Lord Kelvin Award to Mr Tony Capel from Canada for his dedicated contributions and participation in the areas of wireless industrial communication networks, cyber security and smart grid technology. The Lord Kelvin Award is the highest honour in the global electrotechnology industry.

Mr Capel, who becomes the 37th Kelvin Award laureate, received the gold medal in a ceremony held in Canada. He is the first Canadian to win the award.

A formal ceremony is taking place on Thursday 7 October to honour Tony Capel in front of his peers, during the 85^th IEC General Meeting in Dubai. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it will be a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual elements.

The IEC President, Dr Yinbiao Shu, and the IEC General Secretary, Mr Philippe Metzger, have sent video messages to congratulate Mr Capel.

“It is my pleasure and honour to bestow the 2021 Lord Kelvin Award on Mr Tony Capel for his tireless and dedicated contribution to standardization and the values of the IEC,” said Dr Shu.

“I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Tony Capel for his richly deserved Lord Kelvin Award,” said Mr Metzger. “This is a prestigious distinction that honours Mr Capel’s dedication and achievements”.

Mr Capel is the owner and president of Comgate Engineering Ltd, which he co-founded in 1989. He is registered with Professional Engineers Ontario and specializes in datacom, data security and information technology.

The 2021 Lord Kelvin Award recognizes Mr Capel’s keen understanding of the needs of industry and consortia, as well as his ability to achieve consensus around new standards.

About the Lord Kelvin Award
The prestigious IEC Lord Kelvin Award takes its name from the first IEC President, who was a distinguished scientist and prolific inventor. Lord Kelvin contributed significantly to the advancement of modern physics and the practical applications of electrotechnology.

Lord Kelvin, together with Charles Le Maistre, the first IEC General Secretary, can be considered the true fathers of standardization. They put in place the processes and methodologies that enable companies to spread new technologies broadly and countries to build more sustainable infrastructure.

Today, the Lord Kelvin Award honours their vision and drive to understand and improve the practical applications of the millions of electrical and electronic devices and systems that are part of our daily lives.

About IEC
The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is a global, not-for-profit membership organization that brings together 173 countries and coordinates the work of 20 000 experts globally. IEC International Standards and conformity assessment work underpins international trade in electrical and electronic goods. It facilitates electricity access, and verifies the safety, performance and interoperability of electric and electronic devices and systems, including for example consumer devices such as mobile phones or refrigerators, office and medical equipment, information technology, electricity generation, and much more.

Conformity assessment refers to any activity that determines whether a product, system, service and sometimes people fulfil the requirements and characteristics described in a standard or specification. Such requirements can include performance, safety, efficiency, effectiveness, reliability, durability, or environmental impacts such as pollution or noise. Verification is generally done through testing and/or inspection.