Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010
Road to Palm Springs

  • Share

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita

Quality Electrodynamics
Cleveland, Ohio

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita left a position with GE Healthcare Technologies to become director of imaging physics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. His experience as a professor, researcher, director of engineering as well as a research and development manager has allowed him to carefully nurture and develop his vision.

Dr. Fujita started Quality Electrodynamics (QED) in 2005 to create radiofrequency coils that would improve the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and allow them to produce better images. His concept was for an improved RF Coil, the central component of an MRI machine that receives and transmits signals from the human body to electronic image components. Through his contacts at Toshiba and Siemens, he generated interest and ideas from those potential customers.

Dr. Fujita’s philosophy of “no acceptance of failure” is what drove him to complete a fully developed product within 18 months. It is also the same driver behind the company’s growth from a staff of three in 2006 to 54 employees today. Over the last four years QED’s revenues increased by more than 1,500%, including a 155% increase from 2008 to 2009.

The company now has nine products, and Dr. Fujita is expanding into the renewable energy market, where it is developing a product related to solar power conversion and expects initial sales in that market in 2011.