EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2002-- International Rectifier, IR® (NYSE:IRF - news) Chief Executive Officer, Alex Lidow, will deliver the keynote address at a consortium of automotive industry leaders convened by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on January 30, 2002 at the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey Hotel. Dr. Lidow plans to discuss advancements in power management that have the potential to nearly double fuel mileage and dramatically reduce carbon emissions.

MIT's Automotive Consortium represents 54 of the world's leading automotive makers and suppliers tasked with leading the industry transition to a new electrical backbone for the next generation of high efficiency, high tech vehicles. While the vehicles of 2005 and beyond will revolutionize consumer comfort as well as safety and reliability, the enabling technologies are complex electronic devices that demand a migration from today's 14-volt system to a 42-volt architecture to accommodate the expected six-fold increase in peak power demands.

Dr. Lidow said, ``The Consortium can play an important role in raising our collective standard of living by making environmentally-friendly cars that provide unprecedented levels of human safety and comfort.''

Dr. Lidow was chosen by the Consortium to address its members because of International Rectifier's leadership role in developing the highly specialized power management electronics needed for the new electrical standard. ``International Rectifier has shown exceptional initiative and creativity in understanding and then developing products for emerging automotive applications,'' says Dr. Thomas A. Keim, Consortium Director, at MIT. Dr. Lidow is a co-inventor of the HEXFET® power MOSFET, an integral technology in regulating and managing power loads in tomorrow's automobiles. His company holds over 400 patents in power management electronics with an additional 550 pending.

Dr. Lidow's address is expected to highlight IR's solutions for next generation automotive systems including: integrated starter alternators, electronically controlled valves, electric power steering, electrically controlled suspension and braking systems, and electric fan controls.

About International Rectifier

International Rectifier (NYSE:IRF - news), a publicly-traded company founded in 1947, is recognized as a leading supplier of power semiconductors and systems solutions. IR's patented HEXFET power MOSFETs, IGBTs and high-voltage ICs make electricity work smarter in industrial automation and controls, automotive electrical systems, consumer electronics, computers and peripherals, telecommunications, lighting, and satellite/launch vehicle applications. Learn more at www.irf.com.

About the MIT Consortium

In 1993, MIT's ``Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems'' began research on advanced automotive electrical system architectures. The initial program, which was sponsored by a European automobile manufacturer, involved a series of informal workshops with component suppliers and other car companies to discuss the subject. By the end of 1995, participants in the workshops developed a consensus opinion on 42V DC as an optimal approach to advanced automotive electrical systems for next-generation, conventionally-powered vehicles. At that point, eight companies agreed to form a research consortium at MIT to study critical issues of the proposed design. During the past five years, research on this topic has continued and 46 additional companies have joined the ``MIT/Industry Consortium on Advanced Automotive Electrical/Electronic Components and Systems.'' Learn more at www.mitconsortium.org.

High Resolution JPEGs are available in the Press Room.