Founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of SmartIR, Prof. Coskun Kocabas holds a PhD in Physics (2007) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA). He conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard University, followed by academic appointments as Assistant and Associate Professor at Bilkent University. In 2017, he joined the University of Manchester as Professor of 2D Device Materials and became a core member of the National Graphene Institute.
Prof. Kocabas is internationally recognized as a leading researcher in the optical and electronic applications of graphene, with over 20 years of experience in the development of graphene-based electronic and photonic devices. He has published extensively in high-impact journals and is the inventor on multiple patents in the field.
He has successfully led a large, multidisciplinary research group and coordinated major European research programs, including prestigious ERC Consolidator and Proof-of-Concept Grants, as well as EIC projects. His research leadership spans from fundamental science to applied innovation, with a strong track record of translating discoveries into functional technologies.
At SmartIR, Prof. Kocabas plays a central role in guiding scientific innovation, supervising technical development, and shaping the company’s intellectual property strategy. His expertise ensures that SmartIR remains at the forefront of thermal management and adaptive materials solutions for the space and defence sectors.