Vice-Minister for Commerce Panpree Bahiddha-Nukara (pictured right) of the Kingdom of Thailand toured AIST’s Tsukuba facilities with his staff on May 27, 2004. Following a welcoming speech by Trustee Tatsuo Katsura, Vice-Minister Bahiddha-Nukara delivered an address, noting that his visit to AIST reflected the Thai government’s deep interest in Japanese industrial technology. The vice-minister’s speech was followed by presentations providing an overview of AIST and explaining research being conducted in the fields of biotechnology, energy, and nanotechnology/materials. The vice-minister’s tour of AIST’s research sites included the Solar Energy Research site and the Diamond Research Center, where he was shown a diamond membrane.

After the tour of research sites, there was an explanation of AIST’s intellectual property management and licensing system, followed by a lively question-and-answer session.

The international trade fair Hanover Messe 2004 was held for six days, April 19–24, in Hanover, Germany,

Hanover Messe is one of the world’s larg-est trade shows, bringing industries of all kinds together under one roof. This year the fair had 5,040 exhibitors and drew approximately 180,000 visitors. AIST’s exhibit in the Research and Technology Hall took “energy and the environment” as its theme and featured such technologies as photocatalysis, ice thermal storage, exhaust purification, biodegradable plastics, and CO₂ separation, all with the aim of promoting technology transfer. European companies and academic and research institutions showed particular interest in AIST’s envi-ronmental technology, while the energy-related exhibits attracted the attention of companies in tropical and subtropical countries. In all, the exhibit was successful in fostering technology transfer, leading to talks with several compa-nies on licensing, joint research, and commis-sioned research, as well as inquiries regarding the products of AIST ventures.

On April 20, 2004, Mr. Alain BUGAT, Managing Director of French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) visited AIST Tsukuba. CEA is the second largest research institute in France. Dr. Kisaburo KODAMA, Senior Vice President of AIST, explained the introduction of AIST and research of the AIST. Mr. BUGAT had a discussion on research and budget and talked amicably about the future collaboration between both countries. Afterwards, he toured the Nanoarchitectonics Research Center, where he had an overview of the center and introduction of a lipid nanotube by Dr. SHIMIZU, Director of the Nanoarchitectonics Research Center. Moreover, Mr. BUGAT toured the Advanced Semiconductor Research Center, where he had an overview of the Millennium Research for Advanced Information Technology Project (MIRAI Project) by Dr. HIROSE, Director of Advanced Research Center. He visited a super clean room, a world-class clean room for research.

The “nano tech 2004” International Nanotechnology Exhibition & Conference was held at Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) from March 17 to 19, 2004. The nanotechnology fair was a major success, boasting the participation of 198 domestic and 62 international business and research organizations and drawing more than 32,000 visitors.

The AIST booth at the fair exhibited 30 products of Institute research in a range of fields, including device technology, environmental technology, materials, nano processing, and assessment technology. Presentations on 14 of those were given on a stage inside the booth over a period of two days. In the general exhibition area, one of the exhibits attracting the most attention was an AIST technology that kept 30 species of ocean and freshwater fish alive for an extended period of time in a sealed tank containing nanobubbles of oxygen; AIST was awarded the biotechnology prize for development of a new technology for manufacturing nanobubbles. The conferences held in conjunction with the exhibition included the First International Symposium on Standard Materials and Metrology for Nanotechnology and the Nano-Biz-Bio 2004: AIST Symposium on Industrial Nanotechnology, both of which drew enthusiastic crowds.

Based on the recognition that further development of industrial science and technology is indispensable to realize "sustainable development", AIST is carrying out research activities whose fields range from technoinfrastructure to high technology. Because all fields including the economy are globalized, it is impossible to realize "sustainable development" within one country so international cooperation is essential.

As a part of international cooperation ac-tivities, AIST is seeking the collaboration with major research institutes in the East Asian re-gion, which has the highest economic growth rate in the world. AIST signed a comprehen-seve research collaboration agreement with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),representing reserch insititutions in the People's Republic of China(P.R.China).

CAS, founded on November 1st, 1949 just after P.R.China was established, is the highest academic institution in China and one of the national organizations equivalent to a ministry. The Academy covers a wide range of research fields including basic science, life science and biotechnology, resources and environment, and high-tech R&D with about 50,000 staffs, 84 affiliated institutes and dozens of technology supporting units all over China. In addition, CAS has invested and set up more than 430 science and technology enterprises.

The signing ceremony was celebrated on May 19, 2004 at AIST Tokyo Waterfront with the presence of Prof. Hiroyuki YOSHIKAWA, President of AIST and Prof. Yongxiang LU, President of CAS.

In commemoration of the agreement con-clusion, "AIST/CAS Joint Symposium" was held on the same day at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Odaiba, Tokyo. The symposium's main subject was on the collaboration between industry and research. There were about 200 people mainly from enterprises who have an interest in collaboration with China.

At the symposium, Prof. LU and Prof. YOSHIKAWA made keynote lectures titled "Development in Harmony with Man and Nature", "Scientists' Role to Realize Sustainable Development for Mankind", respectively. Both lectures emphasized "Sustainable Development" as a keyword and stated the role of scientists and institutes is to realize "Sustainable Development". The lecture of Prof. Ming TIAN, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Science & Technology Policy, CAS titled "Chinese Academy of Sciences -- Overview, Knowledge Innovation Program, Talent Training" mentioned the historical overview of CAS, Knowledge Innovation Program that started in 1998 aiming at efficiency and improvement of science and technology on a national scale, and CAS's policy to strengthen human resource training. The lecture of Mr. Masanori YOSHIKAI, Vice President of AIST titled "AIST and the Creation of a New Industry" noted the change of the mission from the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (former AIST) to the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (present AIST), commercialization of research results and philosophy of new industry creation, and meaning and specific plans of collaboration between AIST and CAS. The lecture of Mr. Qin ZHAO, Director, Bureau of High-Tech Industry Development, CAS titled "Promotion of High-Tech Industry Development at CAS" explained that CAS considers commercialization of research results to be important and gave an actual example of "Lenovo Group Limited" which was spun off from CAS to be a representative IT-related company in China. The last special lecture of Mr. Hiroshi KUWAHARA, Chairman of the Board, Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.; Former Member of Council for Science and Technology Policy titled "Expectation for Collaboration between AIST and CAS" mentioned the meaning and expectations of the collaboration by both sides through the specific proposals of cooperation. We think that this symposium was beneficial especially for people from the private sector.

While in Japan, President LU and his party visited several research laboratories at AIST Tsukuba and Tokyo Waterfront, exchanged opinions with AIST executives, and met with political and academic leaders like the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. Shoichi NAKAGAWA.
It is expected that this comprehensive agreement will accelerate specific collaborations between the institutes.

http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_j/event/ev2004/ev20040519/old_ev20040519.html

On March 5, 2004, Nguyen Khoa Son, deputy director general of the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), visited AIST Tsukuba. VAST, which was called NCST until January this year, is a ministry-level organization directly under the prime minister encompassing 21 research institutes. Deputy Director Nguyen and others visited AIST previously in May 2003, exchanging ideas on a possibility of a research cooperation agreement with AIST Vice-President Kisaburo Kodama and others.

In response to the growing consensus within AIST supporting an Asia-centered international strategy, a group led by Akio Nishijima, deputy director of AIST's International Affairs Department, visited VAST in February this year to hold working-level consultations on a cooperation agreement and explain research topics recommended by the Institute's research coordinators and unit heads as feasible candidates for cooperation. During the most recent visit, VAST's deputy director general, the head of its planning division, and the head of its international division met with AIST supervising researchers to make specific proposals and trade views on research cooperation based on the themes earlier suggested by AIST. Plans for cooperation between AIST and VAST can be expected to begin taking shape in the months ahead.

The Asia Nanotech Forum Summit 2004 (ANFoS2004), jointly sponsored by AIST and Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency, was held May 10-11, 2004, in Phuket. The event brought together some 50 researchers and policy makers from Japan, Thailand, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam to discuss such topics as research trends in each country, priority areas for research, and international cooperation. Thailand's Minister of Science and Technology Korn Thapparansi delivered an address at the conference.

The summit produced an agreement to maintain a network with AIST as the hub and a decision to hold the next summit in China.
On May 12, the venue shifted to Bangkok for the Thailand Nanotech Business Forum for CEOs. Corporate leaders from Thailand and other countries were invited to participate in and attend lectures and panel discussions on nanotechnology's significance for business.