Michel Gauthier
Michel Gauthier holds a PhD in Electrochemistry (UdeM) and completed post-doctoral research in Solid Ionics at Grenoble, France. Joining Hydro-Québec’s IREQ in 1972, he established a lithium battery R&D group that grew to 140 personnel, focusing on Solid-State Lithium Metal Polymer (LMP) technology. His tenure included leading international consortia with CNRS, Total, Yuasa, and 3M/USABC to advance LMP from fundamental chemistry to the ArGo Tech pilot production facility.
In 2001, Gauthier founded Phostech Lithium to commercialize Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP). He successfully consolidated a complex patent portfolio between UT Austin, UdeM, CNRS, and Hydro-Québec, scaling LFP production with Süd-Chemie. In 2020, he incorporated Ignis Lithium to develop a high-throughput melt-synthesis process, targeting thermodynamic and economic efficiencies to compete with incumbent solid-state LFP manufacturing. (Episode S1E3)