Syndem Founder Qing-Chang Zhong Receives 2026 IET Achievement Medal for Field-Defining Work on Autonomous Power Systems

Award marks advancement from SYNDEM architecture and virtual synchronous machines (VSM) to global standards, physical demonstrations and engineering translation

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM AND CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Syndem LLC announced that its founder and CEO, Qing-Chang Zhong, received a 2026 Achievement Medal from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) at a ceremony in London on October 16. The medal recognizes an integrated body of engineering contributions to power-electronics-enabled autonomous power systems.

The IET recognized Zhong’s “field-defining contribution by creating the Synchronised-and-Democratised architecture and Virtual Synchronous Machine technologies: a unifying foundation for power-electronics-enabled autonomous power.”

With origins tracing back to the Society of Telegraph Engineers founded in 1871, which became the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) in 1889, the IET is a global professional engineering institution with more than 157,000 professionals in 148 countries. Its Achievement Medals recognize exceptional contributions to science, engineering and technology.

An Original Holistic Architecture and Pioneering Enabling Technologies
The transition toward renewable electricity, energy storage, data centers and flexible demand raises a fundamental technical challenge: how vast numbers of power-electronic devices can synchronize, share regulation duties and maintain system stability. Zhong invented the Synchronized-and-Democratized (SYNDEM) architecture and pioneered its enabling virtual synchronous machine (VSM) technologies as an approach to that challenge. Inspired by physical synchronization and decentralized participation, SYNDEM enables heterogeneous resources to coordinate system operation without continuous centralized control or high-speed communication for basic synchronization.

Zhong’s pioneering synchronverter work began in 2008, followed by advances in self-synchronization, control and stability. His 2011 seminal paper, “Synchronverters: Inverters That Mimic Synchronous Generators,” is among the top three most-cited non-survey papers in the first 44 years of IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. His invited 2016 IEEE Power Electronics Magazine cover story, “Virtual Synchronous Machines: A Unified Interface for Grid Integration,” has ranked among that magazine’s top two most-cited and most-popular papers. At the 2017 IFAC World Congress, Zhong was selected to deliver the sole power-systems lecture among 11 plenary and semi-plenary presentations.

Engineering Impact, Public Recognition and Standardization
Applications and validation have progressed beyond individual converters. State Grid Corporation of China independently implemented a 140 MW VSM demonstration at Zhangbei in 2017, following Zhong’s earlier UK-based technical leadership and collaboration with State Grid’s research community. SYNDEM and VSM were also cited during the 2018 U.S. House hearing “The Electric Grid of the Future.” Zhong subsequently initiated and chaired the development of IEEE Std 2988-2024, the first international standard dedicated to virtual synchronous machines. Completed nine months ahead of schedule with 97 percent approval, it was published in January 2025. IEEE Spectrum independently reported on his work in 2013 and 2017 and published a Zhong-led expert feature in 2025.

Zhong is Professor Emeritus at Illinois Institute of Technology, where he held the Max McGraw Endowed Chair Professorship in Energy and Power Engineering and Management for 12 years. Before that, he held chair professorships at Loughborough University and the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. Earlier recognition included the synchronverter being Highly Commended at the 2009 IET Innovation Awards and a Royal Academy of Engineering/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship (2009–2010). He is a Fellow of the IET (2010), IEEE (2017) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2025). He also served as Distinguished Lecturer for three IEEE societies: IEEE Power Electronics Society, IEEE Control Systems Society and IEEE Power and Energy Society.

Translating a Research Foundation into Engineering Practice
Zhong founded Syndem in the Chicago area in 2017 to translate the SYNDEM architecture and advances in VSM technology into physical converter products, field validation, and hands-on research and education. In a DOE-supported project, Syndem completed field tests involving 20 VSM-equipped converters. Separately, in April 2023, it completed delivery of 30 VSM units to Binghamton University for another DOE-supported project. A reconfigurable 108-converter SYNDEM research testbed was built and commissioned at Texas Tech University using Syndem kits. Syndem’s VSM products have been sold to customers in three countries, while its research and educational kits have reached institutions in more than ten countries. In March 2026, Syndem announced a strategic partnership with OPAL-RT to connect physical converter technologies with real-time simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing, supporting engineering development and validation.

“The IET's recognition is particularly meaningful because it acknowledges an integrated field-defining engineering contribution spanning nearly 20 years—from the fundamental principles governing individual power converters to the architecture of large-scale autonomous power systems,” Zhong said. “I am grateful to the funding bodies, students, colleagues and collaborators who have contributed to this journey. I look forward to continuing the translation of these innovations into engineering solutions that can benefit society worldwide.”

About Syndem LLC
Syndem LLC is a technology company developing and commercializing technologies for autonomous, stable, reliable, secure, and resilient power-electronic energy systems. Its work centers on the Synchronized-and-Democratized (SYNDEM) architecture and Virtual Synchronous Machine technologies, with products and platforms for grid-forming power conversion, research, education, and system validation. Syndem’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Qing-Chang Zhong, initiated and chaired the development of IEEE Std 2988-2024, the first global standard dedicated specifically to the use and functions of Virtual Synchronous Machines. More information is available at syndem.com.

Sue Yu
Syndem LLC
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