Paul Eremenko

Paul Eremenko
Education Aeronautics and Astronautics
Law
Alma mater MIT
Caltech
Georgetown University
Occupation Founding CEO of Airbus Group Silicon Valley innovation center
Years active 2001–present
Known for Project Ara
DARPA
Adaptive Vehicle Make
Fractionated Spacecraft
Value-driven design
100 Year Starship
Project Ara at Google
Title CEO of Airbus Group Silicon Valley innovation center

Paul Eremenko is an American innovator and technology executive. He is currently CEO of Airbus Group Silicon Valley innovation center.[1] He is a former Google executive and head of Google’s Project Ara, an effort to create an open, modular smartphone platform.[2][3][4] Eremenko was named one of the Top-10 Tech Leaders of 2015 in FORTUNE Magazine.[5] Eremenko has also come out as a strong proponent of artificial intelligence and autonomy research, brushing away the growing chorus of concerns by many prominent technology and business leaders.[6][7] Eremenko has cited his desire to build a starship as the motivation underpinning his career.[8]

Education

Eremenko earned a bachelor's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT,[9] a Master’s in Aeronautics from Caltech, and a law degree from Georgetown University.[10] He trained as a pilot at Aretz Airport near Purdue University.[8]

Career

Airbus Group

On May 29, 2015, Eremenko was named the founding CEO of Airbus Group Silicon Valley technology and business innovation center. In this capacity, he is responsible for establishing Airbus's Silicon Valley presence. Eremenko reports to Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders.[1]

Google

At Google, Eremenko created and headed Project Ara, which seeks to democratize the mobile phone hardware ecosystem and to make the mobile internet accessible to the next five billion people.[4] The project is also developing a production 3D printer to enable aesthetic customization of the modules that form the device.[11][12] The ATAP division at Google aims to replicate the innovation model of the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) in the private sector.[3]

Motorola

Before moving to Google, Eremenko was Vice President of Advanced Technology at Motorola[12] where he started Project Ara prior to Google’s sale of Motorola Mobility to Lenovo, while retaining the project.[2][3]

DARPA

Eremenko served as the Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Tactical Technology Office at DARPA, the office responsible for the agency’s drones, robotics, X-planes, and satellite programs.[13][14] While at DARPA, Eremenko developed and managed several projects, including an effort to revolutionize design and manufacture of complex military systems (such as vehicles and aircraft) called Adaptive Vehicle Make,[15][16][17][18] the System F6 fractionated spacecraft program,[10][19] and the 100 Year Starship.[20] Eremenko was also responsible for a crowd-sourced military vehicle effort called XC2V which was said to revolutionize auto manufacturing.[18]

At DARPA, Eremenko developed two education-themed efforts: DARPA’s MENTOR program focused on building a manufacturing workforce,[17] and InSPIRE which made the SPHERES robotic platform on the International Space Station accessible to high school students.[21]

Controversies

Since Eremenko was responsible for DARPA's drone and robotics programs, he was asked in the 2013 Nova documentary Rise of the Drones whether he was concerned about the dangers of artificial intelligence, he replied "if you were to ask ... whether the Rise of the Machines-type scenario is a real concern ... my response would be, 'We should be so lucky.' In fact, if we could get little slivers of that kind of adaptive and cognitive capability into systems, that would be a very significant breakthrough, from where we stand today."[6][7]

The 100 Year Starship, which Eremenko headed at DARPA, was named by U.S. Senator Tom Coburn as one of the 100 most wasteful government spending projects. Coburn specifically cited a 100 Year Starship workshop that included one session, entitled “Did Jesus die for Klingons too?” that debated the implications for Christian philosophy should life be found on other planets.[22]

Other Work

Eremenko was one of the creators and early proponents of a systems engineering strategy for creating more flexible and adaptable products known as value-driven design.[10]

Personal life

Eremenko is the son of the Ukrainian-American mathematician Alexandre Eremenko.[8] Eremenko is one of the most senior aerospace industry executives who is openly gay.[23]

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.airbusgroup.com/int/en/news-media/press-releases/Airbus-Group/Financial_Communication/2015/05/20150529_airbus_group_silicon_valley.html
  2. 1 2 McCracken, Harry (26 Feb 2014). "Project Ara: Inside Google’s Bold Gambit to Make Smartphones Modular". TIME Magazine. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Helft, Miguel (14 Aug 2014). "Google goes DARPA". FORTUNE. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  4. 1 2 Bohn, Dieter (15 Apr 2014). "Building blocks: how Project Ara is reinventing the smartphone". The Verge. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Microsoft CEO bests the rest in tech leadership, says researcher". Fortune. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
  6. 1 2 Yost, Peter (23 Jan 2013). "Rise of the Drones". Internet Movie Database. PBS Nova. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  7. 1 2 Yost, Peter (23 Jan 2013). "Rise of the Drones". YouTube. PBS Nova. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Daniels, Pres. Mitch. "Purdue Presidential Lecture Series - Paul Eremenko".
  9. ↑ "Aero/astro confers awards on 26". MIT News. 6 Jun 2001. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Brown, Owen; Eremenko, Paul (Nov 2009). "Acquiring Space Systems in an Uncertain Future: The Introduction of Value-Centric Acquisition" (PDF). High Frontier 6 (1): 43. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  11. ↑ Halleck, Thomas (25 Nov 2013). "Phonebloks: Motorola Partners With 3D Systems For Modular Smartphone Future In 'Project Ara’". International Business Times. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  12. 1 2 Talbot, David (7 Apr 2014). "Why Google’s Modular Smartphone Might Actually Succeed". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  13. ↑ Strohm, Chris (15 Apr 2013). "Google’s Motorola Mobility Taps U.S. Defense Agency for Talent". Bloomberg. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  14. ↑ Aguirre, Lauren (17 Jan 2013). "How Dumb Are Drones?". PBS Nova. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  15. ↑ "How DARPA Aims to Revolutionize Defense Manufacturing". Armed with Science. 14 Sep 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  16. ↑ Kenyon, Henry (17 Sep 2010). "DARPA wants to blow up military design process, start over". Defense Systems. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  17. 1 2 Gallagher, Sean (6 Dec 2011). "DARPA’s factory of the future looks like open source development". Ars Technica. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  18. 1 2 Belfiore, Michael (26 Jan 2012). "Adaptive Vehicle Make: DARPA's Plan to Revolutionize Auto Manufacturing". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  19. ↑ Montalbano, Elizabeth (16 Nov 2011). "DARPA Wants Wireless Network For Satellite Clusters". Information Week. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  20. ↑ Page, Lewis (3 Nov 2010). "DARPA, NASA team on '100-Year Starship' project". The Register. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  21. ↑ Buck, Joshua; Jones, Johanna. "NASA, DARPA Seek Satellite Research Proposals For Space Station". NASA. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  22. ↑ Kennedy, Sean (December 2012). "Defense Waste: The Final Frontier". Citizens Against Government Waste. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  23. ↑ Hsiao, Jensen (6 July 2015). "Google Director of Engineering Offers Insight Into Aerospace Tech & Trends in the Hardware Industry". Founder Institute Spotlight. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
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