For Pioneering Contributions to Conception and Development of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and Leadership in Its Practical Application -On November 17, 2025, the Honda Foundation held the 46th Honda Prize Award Ceremony and a commemorative lecture at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
The foundation awarded the prize medal and diploma to this year’s laureate, Dr. Kenichi Iga (honorary professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo, and 18th president of the former Tokyo Institute of Technology), for his pioneering conception and development of the Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL).
The foundation is a public interest incorporated foundation established by Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and his younger brother Benjiro.
At the opening of the ceremony, Hiroto Ishida, President of the Honda Foundation, delivered opening remarks: "The surface-emitting laser conceived and promoted by Dr. Iga is now indispensable to people's lives. It supports our society in many areas, including high-speed data communication and facial recognition on smartphones. Dr. Iga’s efforts, from the conception of this new technology to leading its fundamental research, practical application, and subsequent widespread adoption, represent a great achievement that truly embodies the spirit of the Honda Prize."
Following the ceremony, Dr. Iga delivered a commemorative lecture titled "Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL): Born Small and Grown Big -- From Smartphones to Huge Data Centers." In the lecture, Dr. Iga shared episodes from his journey, starting with his boyhood in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan. Raised in a nature-rich environment, he became interested in electricity and electronics after building his own radio. He also reflected on his university days, where he devoted himself to research with the support of a scholarship from "SAKKOKAI," a foundation established in 1961 by Honda founders Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa to support young researchers.
