Element Strategy Initiative: Achievements from the First Five Years

The Elements Strategy Initiative: To Form Core Research Centers comprises four research areas that have a direct bearing on Japan’s industrial competitiveness. These research areas are magnetic materials, electronic materials, catalysts and batteries, and structural materials. Under the supervision of their distinguished lead researchers, the relevant centers have carried out research under the Initiative in an integrated manner involving close collaboration and cooperation. The research centers cover everything from the theoretically clarification of the roles of elements that govern material functions to the creation of new materials and the evaluation of their properties.

Now entering its sixth year, the Initiative has already produced many achievements, including fire-extinguishing electrolyte materials for sodium-ion batteries, and semiconductor materials for red LEDs utilizing materials informatics. In addition, the researchers have detected trace hydrogen that has a significant effect on material properties and elucidated these effects, discovered candidate materials that outperform neodymium magnets, detected weak magnetic fields using large-scale analytical equipment, and analyzed the deformation behavior in structural materials. These achievements will be presented at this symposium.

It is my hope that the symposium will provide opportunities for future collaboration, as well as the creation and application of advanced technologies, and that you all engage in lively discussions.