Paul Burn has made a major contribution to science, particularly in the field of organic semiconducting materials. It is a significant achievement in the highly competitive field of organic semiconductors to have been fundamentally involved in discovering and developing a world leading position for two new classes of materials, new characterisation techniques, and device technologies. The discovery of light-emitting polymers and dendrimers has led to worldwide interest in organic semiconductors across a broad range of applications. Burn’s impact is demonstrated by his many publications, the numerous invited talks he has given, the intellectual property portfolio, and subsequent commercialization.