Dr. Solomon Assefa

Dr. Solomon Assefa is a Vice President at IBM Research. He is directing the worldwide effort at IBM Research focused on developing technologies, platforms, and partnerships for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Under his leadership, researchers from the IBM’s global labs are innovating in areas such as accelerated material discovery for carbon capture, enterprise carbon footprint reduction, climate risk and impact, and platforms for resiliency towards extreme climate events.

Furthermore, Solomon is responsible for IBM’s research labs in Kenya and South Africa, and heads IBM’s research strategy and partnership across MEA. IBM Research is pioneering disruptive technologies that will transform industries and society, including the future of AI, hybrid cloud, and quantum computing. IBM’s Africa labs are localizing these technologies and developing scalable solutions for emerging markets in areas such as financial services, healthcare, and public sector. IBM Research Africa is playing an epicenter role in developing technologies that address Africa’s grand challenges, promoting Africa’s leadership in science and technology, and fostering local innovation ecosystems.

As a Research Scientist, Solomon has worked on IBM’s nanophotonics technology with responsibilities spanning research, development, and technology transfer. He has also worked on field switched and spin torque MRAM technologies. He has co-authored over 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, has over 50 patents, and has appeared as a guest speaker at numerous conferences worldwide. His work has been featured in Nature magazine, The Wall Street Journal, BBC News, Forbes, Technology Review, EE Times, and IEEE Spectrum, among many others. Solomon can be followed on Twitter at @solo_assefa.