Armand Neukermans is a brilliant scientist, prolific inventor, successful entrepreneur, dedicated philanthropist and passionate environmentalist. As if there weren’t enough feathers in his indisputably impressive cap already, he was recently knighted by the king of Belgium.
Having attained great success in the for-profit world, he now dedicates himself to improving conditions for other people and for the environment. Where others might see boundaries and barriers, Neukermans sees opportunities to connect people who can help each other.
For nearly a decade, he has focused, along with other scientists and engineers, on a project aimed at mitigating the dire effects of climate change.
Despite his many successes, the Portola Valley resident would rather talk about something other than himself, and gives ample credit to others. If you’ve never heard of Armand Neukermans, this might explain why.
Formative time
Neukermans was born in 1940, the youngest of 10 children, in Okegem, Belgium, a small town not far from Brussels. “We lived very frugally and after school, we helped the farmers,” he recalls.
He attended nearby Louvain University, earning degrees in both electrical and mechanical engineering. Louvain (or Leuven), a Catholic university founded in 1435, is renowned as a center of philosophy and scientific research, and for its culture of internationalism.
As a post-graduate student, Neukermans was picked by the university to be the Flemish representative to Sint-Janshuis, an international group-living situation that operated on the ecumenical principles of unity and cooperation.
Living in this environment with students of 15 different nationalities and languages proved to be a formative time. “The experience shaped me more than anything else,” Neukermans says.
“Liberation theology was written there; the archbishop of Canterbury was a regular visitor. There were extraordinary discussions on religion, science, Teilhard de Chardin, evolution, sociology, social justice,” he notes.
Neukermans initially came to the U.S. after being chosen as a candidate for a Fulbright scholarship. As it turned out, the Fulbright did not materialize, but in the process, he received some memorable feedback. With an ironic chuckle, Neukermans recalls that “someone on the panel told me I’d never amount to anything.”
Amounting to something
Soon after the Fulbright encounter and as if on cue, Neukermans was recruited by General Electric, which precipitated a move west to Arizona and eventually on to Stanford, where he earned a doctorate in applied physics.
Beginning in 1962, Neukermans worked for pioneering Silicon Valley companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Xerox. Later, he operated his own consulting company, and later still created and sold a company based on a revolutionary optical switch.
Over the span of Neukerman’s career, his work led to the development of the inkjet printer; advancements in hearing aid devices; transdermal medical delivery systems; innovations in the field of fiber optics and many more inventions represented in over 75 patents bearing his name.
Neukermans was named Silicon Valley Inventor of the Year for 2000 by the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association, and in 2014, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship from Belcham, the Belgian American Chamber of Commerce.
In retirement, Neukerman’s activities reflect the influence of his student experience at Sint-Janshuis. Over the last 17 years, he and his wife of 55 years, Eliane, have devoted their time and resources to social and environmental projects that strive to improve the lives of others on both global and local scales.
One such project involved the creation of a low-cost artificial knee. Jaipur Foot, a nonprofit company based in India, provides artificial limbs and other needs at no charge to recipients in India and 27 other countries.
Neukermans became acquainted with D. R. Mehta, the founder of Jaipur Foot, and learned that accidents that resulted in foot and lower limb amputations were prevalent in many third-world countries due mainly to unsafe conditions on trains and scooters. “Losing one’s ability to walk is particularly devastating in areas with limited transportation,” Neukermans explains.
When Jaipur Foot needed to create a knee, Neukermans connected the company with researchers at Stanford. The collaboration resulted in what is called the Stanford-Jaipur Knee. In 2009, Time Magazine declared it one of the 50 best inventions in the world for 2009. It has since been fitted on more than 9,000 people. To learn more about Jaipur Foot, go to jaipurfoot.org.
Addressing climate change
After a screening of “An Inconvenient Truth,” former vice president Al Gore’s documentary on climate change, a group of Portola Valley Ranch residents gathered at Armand and Eliane Neukermans’ home to discuss ways to reduce their collective environmental impact. They decided that converting their homes to solar energy was the best option, whereupon Armand Neukermans set out to make it happen.
He approached a number of solar companies in the Bay Area, proposing to make a bulk purchase of photovoltaic installations in exchange for a discounted price. “I was turned down by all of them except Solar City,” Neukermans says.
Ultimately, 78 out of 200 homes converted to solar power and the program became the business model for Solar City’s Community Solar Program.
Last November, King Philippe of Belgium knighted Neukermans and declared him an officer of the Order of Leopold, Belgium’s oldest and highest honor. When asked why he had been so honored by his native country, Neukerman’s response was characteristically modest: “I don’t know. I guess for some of my achievements.”
The official Order of Leopold document, however, says something far more specific: “For the Portola Valley Solar Community Project.”
Neukermans is profoundly concerned about the rapid changes that are taking place around the world due to the effects of climate change. He is realistic about what must be done to halt and reverse the effects of too much CO2 in the atmosphere, but he is frankly pessimistic about whether or not anything can be done to halt rising temperatures before it’s too late.
When asked why there isn’t a greater sense of urgency in some quarters, he shakes his head. Having grown up in war-torn Europe, he has seen what can be done when people mobilize to overcome something that threatens their existence, and says, “We should be approaching this like a war.”
For the last nine years, Neukermans has led a team of veteran Silicon Valley scientists and engineers who have pooled their knowledge and experience to work, pro bono, on a project aimed at lowering temperatures. The team is exploring what Neukermans calls “marine cloud brightening,” a process that makes clouds denser, more mirror-like and capable of reflecting sunlight back into the atmosphere, thus reducing temperatures on Earth.
While their work is not intended to be a solution, it may be something that could be used to avert disaster if temperatures continue to rise. The concept is one of several initiatives currently being explored that are collectively referred to as “geoengineering.” Although the concept is 20 years old, it is controversial and remains to be tested in a real-life situation.
In a 2013 Al Jazeera report on climate change, Neukermans was quoted as saying, “I have eight grandchildren and it’s very hard to say, ‘Look, I saw this coming … but I didn’t do anything about it.'”
When asked how he talks to people who are climate change skeptics or outright deniers, Neukermans replies: “I’ve given up. I can’t waste my time. How much evidence do you need?”
For others, what’s the most important thing to do now? Neukermans says this: “The best thing is to act for the carbon fee and dividend scheme.” The idea would put a steadily rising fee on fossil fuels and give the funds to households as a dividend. It is intended to reduce carbon emissions by leveling the playing field for all forms of energy.
As for what else can be done, Neukermans has the following advice: “Show empathy for those already suffering from climate change, be it in our own state because of fires, or for those forced to cross borders because of it.”
To learn more about Carbon Fee and Dividend, go to tinyurl.com/carbonfee42419.
‘A visionary’
Neukermans may be reluctant to talk about himself, but others who know him don’t hesitate.
Annie Nunan is a chef and restaurateur who operated Nouveau Trattoria in Palo Alto for many years. She now uses her culinary expertise to help other people raise money by taking charge of the food for special dinners in private homes. She and her staff have put on a number of dinners at the home of Armand and Eliane Neukermans, and she expresses great amazement over the couple’s generosity, as well as his unwavering modesty in spite of his many accomplishments.
“They never stop giving and enhancing the lives of others,” Nunan declares. “They take people from different countries under their wing. They bring guests into the kitchen to introduce them to the staff, and they always help load and unload the car.”
Garden designer Danna Breen, a long-time resident of Portola Valley, says she doesn’t know Neukermans well, but when she has been at events with him, she has found him to be “inspirational. I always love talking to him about anything. He is a visionary.”
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