Abstract: When I joined Ballard as a research scientist in 1990 the company was working on sulfur dioxide rechargeable batteries for military applications. At that time, the company had about 50 employees and operated out of a small warehouse in North Vancouver. By 1995, Ballard had demonstrated that a fuel cell could produce sufficient power to meet Automotive OEM targets as a propulsion source for passenger vehicles. In 2000, Ballard had over 1500 employees operating in four countries and was publicly-listed in New York and Toronto with a market capitalization comparable to Ford Motor Company, one of its strategic partners. By 2005, less than 100 fuel cell vehicles has been built and Ballard's share price had collapsed. What happened?
Bio: Dr. Charles Stone is a globally-recognized expert in proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology. His career with Ballard Power Systems began in 1990 as a research scientist. He has a PhD from the University of British Columbia, with two postdoctoral studies. Dr. Stone became VP of R&D in 2002, with responsibility for driving fuel cell technology into new products, executive responsibility for IP and technology interface management to strategic partners Daimler, Ford, and EBARA Research in Japan. During his tenure at Ballard, he developed significant expertise in establishing and managing key strategic supplier relationships. Dr. Stone left Ballard in 2007 to start up his own consulting firm, Eon Consultants Ltd., focusing on Renewable Energy, working globally with various government departments, companies and VCs in the areas of technology development and implementation, product portfolio management, strategic partnering and supplier development. He has a double MBA from UCLA and NUS, graduating at the top of his class of senior managers and directors from Fortune 500 companies. He has publishing numerous scientific papers in internationally respected journals, and is an inventor on 15 issued US patents