Ahmet Lokurlu

Dr Ahmet Lokurlu is a Turkish engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Solitem GmbH, a pioneering company at the forefront of eco-technology.

Dr Lokurlu studied mechanical engineering in his native Turkey, before moving to the University of Essen in Germany to study energy engineering. In 1993 he began to investigate methods for harnessing the power of the sun for environmental gain, the work forming the centre of his PhD research. The system he developed during his doctoral studies uses solar power to provide air conditioning for buildings.

With air conditioning a major drain on energy resources particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, the system developed by Dr Lokurlu offers an environmentally sound alternative. In 2000 he founded Solitem to take the system from a research project to a commercially available solution for clients across the world.

Based in Aachen, Germany, Solitem is now a thriving business and Dr Lokurlu's belief in environmentally beneficial engineering has seen him recognised as a leading figure in eco-technology. In 2007 he was named as one of Time Magazine's 'Heroes of the Environment'.

He is currently working on his second PhD thesis.