EUCAS '07: The 8th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (Brussels Expo, Belgium, 16–20 September 2007)

Abstract

This issue of Superconductor Science and Technology (SuST) contains plenary and invited papers presented at the 8th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (EUCAS '07) held in Brussels, Belgium between 16–20 September 2007. All the papers that were submitted to the Conference Proceedings and accepted by the referees are published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS).The scientific aims of EUCAS '07 followed the tradition established at the preceding conferences in Göttingen (Germany), Edinburgh (United Kingdom), Eindhoven (The Netherlands), Sitges (Spain), Lyngby (Denmark), Sorrento (Italy) and Vienna (Austria). The focus was on the interplay between the most recent developments in superconductor research and the positioning of applications of superconductivity in the marketplace. Although initially founded as an exchange forum mainly for European scientists, it has gradually developed into a truly international meeting with significant attendance from the Far East and the United States.Under the guidance of ESAS (the European Society for Applied Superconductivity), this Brussels conference was jointly organized by the University of Ghent and the University of Liège and attracted 795 participants to the scientific programme, including 173 students. Participants from 46 countries included considerable attendance from the Far East (30%) and from the United States and Canada (7%). The latest developments from 30 companies were presented, and 13 plenary and 28 invited lectures highlighted the state-of-the-art in the area of materials (large- as well as small-scale applications were presented). A total of 347 papers from those submitted were selected for publication in JPCS and SuST.EUCAS '07 stimulated optimism and enthusiasm for this fascinating field of research and its technological potential, especially among the numerous young researchers attending this conference. In addition, it gave the leading scientific authorities a forum in which they were able to reflect upon the present state-of-the-art, requirements for further developments and the detailed implementation of superconducting technology in such diverse fields as biomagnetism, energy production, new computer architectures, energy transportation systems and microwave devices.Together with the conference organizers, the Guest Editors of this issue of SuST are grateful to all those who participated in the meeting and contributed to its success.