As the most famous civil-initiated recognition of scientific innovators in Hungary founded by Novofer Foundation, the Dennis Gábor Award is intended to honor outstanding achievements in the field of technological innovation, technical and engineering research. In addition to celebrating individual creative contributions, the award aims to draw public attention to the importance of organized innovation processes, new materials, and the collaborative efforts that drive groundbreaking achievements.

The award ceremony of the 36^th Dennis Gábor Award took place on December 16. 2025, in the Upper House Hall of the Parliament. To this day, more than 260 professionals have received the recognition. We are proud to announce, that in addition to scientists, researchers, university lecturers and promising university students, this year's awardees include the Deputy Division Manager of Optical Measurement Technologies & Head of the Ellipsometry Department of Semilab Dr. Péter Basa as well.

Peter obtained an engineering physicist degree at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, majoring in optics, followed by a PhD.

He has been with Semilab for the past 15 years, driving the development of optical and metrology research-and-development to reach exceptional results, while overseeing more than 60 physicists, engineers, and software developers.

Peter’s contributions played a key role in the development and release of several metrology solutions, including the FTIR-based EIR and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry-based SE product families.  

After acquiring international know-how, he worked on the establishment and further development of Spectroscopic Ellipsometer manufacturing in Hungary. Thanks to his work, these instruments gained global recognition within a short time, significantly contributing to quality advancements in the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. Under his professional leadership, the new SE-2000 Spectroscopic Ellipsometer was created, with 200 units sold globally, 150 of them within the past five years. The SE-2000 ranks among the international leaders in its category and has opened new measurement possibilities for nanotechnology, photovoltaic, and microelectronic research.

Peter led the initial development of the EIR product family as well from the first concept through to successful market introduction. Today, EIR systems play a key role in the characterization of Si- and SiC-based structures. More than 130 systems have been installed worldwide, and they are used by several companies at the forefront of global semiconductor manufacturing.

He co-authored more than 70 scientific publications and conference presentations, produced in collaboration with both national and international partners. He has contributed to three European projects - 3DAM, IT2, and Flex2Energy - through measurement system development and applied research. In addition, he plays an active role in university collaborations and in encouraging young people to pursue careers in the natural sciences.

Following the footsteps of two Semilab founders, Peter became the fourth Dennis Gábor Award winner at SEMILAB. Their collective contributions have significantly shaped the success of Semilab and the industry at large. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Péter Basa for this well-deserved honor, showcasing the excellence within our professional community.