Japanese Material Technologies for a World Contribution to Global Environmental Problems

NIMS Begins a Series of Plans to Highlight the Large Potential of Materials Technologies in Responding to Environmental and Energy Problems as Japan Hosts the Lake Toya Summit

2008.01.11


National Institute for Materials Science

The National Institute for Materials Science believes that Japan’s materials technologies, manufacturing technologies, and related research and development capabilities, which have led the world up to now, should make an even greater contribution to these problems at the world level.

Abstract

With the Lake Toya Summit scheduled to be held in Hokkaido, Japan in June of this year, Japan is searching for every possible contribution to a solution to global environmental problems at the world scale. The National Institute for Materials Science (President: Prof. Teruo Kishi; hereinafter, NIMS) believes that Japan’s materials technologies, manufacturing technologies, and related research and development capabilities, which have led the world up to now, should make an even greater contribution to these problems at the world level. In January, NIMS began a series of plans which will highlight the large potential of materials technologies in responding to environmental and energy problems.

This series of plans includes (1) "Environmental/Energy Materials Research Exhibition" presenting an overview of Japanese materials research and development related to the environment and energy, (2) "Roundtable Discussion on Future Environment/Energy Related Materials" for exchanges on problems in material use confronting efforts to solve environmental and energy problems, (3) "Continuing Seminar on Environment/Energy Material" in which experts on materials will delve further into these issues, (4) publication of an "Environment and Energy Outlook" pamphlet reviewing the status of advanced research and development, and (5) a "NIMS Conference" bringing together international researchers in materials fields related to the environment and energy.

As the first of these efforts, on January 16, NIMS will hold a "Roundtable Discussion on Future Environment/Energy Related Materials" at the Grand Arc Hanzomon Hotel (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) for an exchange on expectations, requests, problems, etc. related to materials technology, bringing together organizations which are grappling with environmental and energy problems from various directions, including industry, transportation, and energy, and public research institutes, universities, and others which are attempting to further strengthen their efforts in the future.