Biography
Fueled by a drive to push the boundaries of the possible in both technology and human endeavours, André Borschberg is an entrepreneur whose passion for exploration is matched only by his persistence to drive economic, environmental and spiritual growth.
Heading the Solar Impulse project together with Bertrand Piccard, André Borschberg converted the vision of a solar airplane of unlimited autonomy into reality, assembling the technical team and leading the design and construction of the 2 prototypes. Furthermore, he leads the evolution of the plane’s technology into new, complex engineering solutions that will serve and transform a number of industries.
In 2015, during the Round-The-World Flight with Solar Impulse 2, André flew for the first time ever 5 days, 5 nights non-stop over the Pacific Ocean and broke the world record for the longest solo flight in an airplane of any kind. He had previously achieved recognition for the first-ever day and night flight in a solar airplane flying Solar Impulse 1 in 2010, followed by a number of different world records.
A graduate engineer from EPFL and holder of a management science degree from MIT, he also is an entrepreneur of several successful start-ups. Fascinated by aviation from his early youth, he learnt to fly with the Swiss air force and holds an assortment of professional airplane and helicopter pilot’s licences. He also does aerobatics in his spare time. As a leader in pioneering technologies, André enjoys sharing his experiences as a speaker and lending his point of view on topics ranging from ‘Making the Impossible Possible’; ‘The Pivot Point from Explorer to Leader’; to ‘From Vision to Reality’; and ‘Turning Obstacles into Opportunities’.