Preface to the Special Issue

Abstract

The International Symposium on Innovative Materials for Processes in Energy Systems, IMPRES, organized by IMPRES Committee and the Division of Energy Engineering, the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan (SCEJ), was held at Kyoto Research Park, Kyoto on 28th to 31st October, 2007. The symposium was designed to aid in the establishment of a sustainable energy society by catalysing the development of innovative energy materials. The symposium concept owes a part of its origin to an energy road map project which was discussed by a project group in the Division of Energy Engineering, SCEJ (Kameyam and Kato, 2005; Kato, 2007). The road map named HONEBUTO Energy Road Map was based on chemical engineering technologies, and attempted to investigate the shape of an ideal energy society in the future. The authors of the group realized the importance of innovative energy materials for the realization of such a society from the discussion. Although innovative materials are developing now in any technology fields, material developments in energy fields are still needed and such development would benefit from a systematic approach. This symposium, IMPRES, is aimed at responding to such needs. (See more in PDF.)