Teppei Okawa

Teppei Okawa is Representative Director and Executive Vice President of NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD (Nagoya, Japan). He graduated from the Department of Materials Physics, School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan (March 1981).

Since joining the company in 1981, he has been primarily engaged with developments and commercialization of automotive oxygen ceramic sensors for internal combustion engines at R&D center and Sensor Department.

He succeeded to develop planar-type wide range oxygen sensor, so called UEGO (Universal Air-Fuel Ratio Heated Exhaust Gas Oxygen) sensor. By measuring the magnitude of deviation from the stoichiometric point, the sensor enables more precise control of the air/fuel ratio, which leads to better fuel economy, lower emissions, and better engine performance simultaneously. The technology contributes to worldwide environmental issues and energy conservation. He applied for approximately 50 patents and received more than 30 registered patents for oxygen ceramic sensors.  He has achieved two Technological Advancement Awards and seven Industrial Advancement Awards from Japan Fine Ceramics Association.

He is a corporate partner member of The American Ceramic Society and received a Corporate Environmental Achievement Award from The American Ceramic Society.

Even after he became a Member of the Board and a Corporate Officer in 2012, he has been promoting and accelerating the developments of future technologies including those in the fields of energy, environment, next generation vehicles, and medical devices, in addition to the major pillars of automotive spark plugs and oxygen sensors. These developments are certainly conductive to the future ceramic industry and sustainable society of the world and health and welfare of human beings.