The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Japan’s National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on advanced materials research. The aim is to enable energy-efficient, cost-competitive and environmentally friendly technologies for the US and Japan.
“This is an important step forward in advanced materials science research,” said Yutai Kato, director of the Materials Science and Technology Division at ORNL, the technical contact for the planned collaborative research. “We are excited about the opportunity for future collaborations with NIMS scientists. We look forward to a future of increased interaction where we can, together, solve some of the world’s biggest scientific problems in materials and manufacturing science.”
NIMS President Kazuhiro Hono also welcomed the MOU. “We look forward to the further development of research collaboration in advanced materials and manufacturing through this MOU,” he said.
The MOU, effective for five years, is between NIMS and UT-Battelle, which operates ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science. It is intended to “promote enhanced collaboration between the two national institutes and to establish a cooperative relationship in the areas of advanced materials and manufacturing through the development of new materials and manufacturing processes”.
It will lay the groundwork to strengthen and promote institutional exchange of staff, scientific and technical information, and will lead to symposia and workshops in both countries, Kato said.
