Drones for Industrial Uses [2Nd Featured Article] Stay Ahead of the Future! New Era for Space Business

75 Reporting on Today and Tomorrow’s Energy, Environmental and Industrial Technologies Special Conversation Dr. YOSHINO Akira Nobel Laureate in Chemistry / Honorary Fellow, Asahi Kasei Corporation / President, LIBTEC ISHIZUKA Hiroaki NEDO Chairman Domestic Ofces ● Head Ofce ● Kansai Branch Ofce MUZA Kawasaki Central Tower, 16F-20F 9th Floor, Knowledge Capital Tower C Grand Front Osaka, 1310 Omiya-cho, Saiwai-ku 3-1 Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0011 Japan Kawasaki City, Kanagawa 212-8554 Japan Tel: +81-6-4965-2130 Tel: +81-44-520-5100 Fax: +81-6-4965-2131 Fax: +81-44-520-5103 Overseas Ofces ● Washington, D.C ● Europe ● Beijing 1717 H Street, NW, Suite 815 10, rue de la Paix 75002 2001 Chang Fu Gong Ofce Building Washington, D.C. 20006, U.S.A. Paris, France Jia-26, Jian Guo Men Wai Street Tel: +1-202-822-9298 Tel: +33-1-4450-1828 Beijing 100022, P.R. 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New Era for Space Business MUZA Kawasaki Central Tower, 1310 Omiya-cho, Saiwai-ku Kawasaki City, Kanagawa 212-8554 Japan Tel: +81-44-520-5100 Fax: +81-44-520-5103 URL: https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/index.html March 2020（1st Edition） Special Conversation A Future Created by Storage Batteries -Breakthroughs Leading to Technology Development- In October 2019, recipients of this year’s Nobel Prizes were announced, and individuals involved with the invention of lithium-ion batteries were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. One of the recipients, Dr. YOSHINO Akira, Honorary Fellow of Asahi Kasei Corporation and President of the Lithium Ion Battery Technology and Evaluation Center (LIBTEC), is currently supporting the implementation of a NEDO project related to technology development for storage batteries. On this occasion, Dr. Yoshino and Chairman Ishizuka engaged in a wide-ranging discussion regarding the history of the development of storage batteries and future prospects. On the role of lithium-ion batteries in Ishizuka: That was when Windows 95 was released, right? accelerating the evolution of mobile devices Yoshino: Yes, that’s correct. Indeed, at that time the world moved all at once toward today’s mobile IT-oriented society with the appearance of the first cell phones and the birth of laptop computers. Ishizuka: Let me begin by offering you my heartfelt congratulations I believe the commercial application of lithium-ion batteries is due to for receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. such market forces. For the invention of the award-winning lithium-ion battery, I understand you discovered a plastic capable of conducting electricity called polyacetylene, which was used for the battery’s anode, and built a prototype of a new rechargeable battery by combining On the potential for all-solid-state lithium-ion the polyacetylene anode with a cathode using lithium cobalt batteries being developed under the NEDO oxide (LiCoO2), a material discovered in 1979 by Professor John project Goodenough of the University of Texas, who was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Dr. MIZUSHIMA Koichi of Ishizuka: I think the commercial application of small, lightweight, Toshiba Research Consulting Corporation. Thanks to the commercial and long-life batteries used in mobile phones and other devices has application of lithium-ion batteries, the evolution of mobile devices had a large impact on changes in social lifestyles. In the future, the such as the mobile phone, a necessity for everyday living, has need for storage batteries used in vehicles such as next-generation accelerated. At the time you invented the battery, what vision did you electric cars and plug-in hybrids is expected to increase further. have for its market potential? Against this backdrop, the LIBTEC organization under your Yoshino: My research in this area began in 1981, or about forty management is carrying out NEDO's development project on all- years ago. There was momentum at the time to make various devices solid-state lithium-ion batteries, so I would greatly appreciate your portable and, of course, a small, lightweight, and rechargeable thoughts regarding prospects for their commercial application. battery is needed for portable uses. On the other hand, I don’t think Yoshino: I think it’s important to consider not only how these anyone at the time could have imagined the current mobile IT- batteries can be used to power cars, but also, in fusion with IT, oriented society. how they can give shape to the IoT concept through 5G and other Ishizuka: In those days, Sony's 8-millimeter video camera was technologies. In addition, cars are probably moving toward the age the first product to address the need for lightweight rechargeable of autonomous driving, and since ridesharing services have been batteries. initiated, the way cars are used in the future is likely to change Yoshino: At that time, there were only nickel-cadmium storage greatly. The amount of time when no one is using a car will be batteries, which weren’t suitable reduced and cars will be running for running devices using small at full capacity. When you amounts of power for a long think about it, durability will period of time, so even though be the key feature for cars in the future. Therefore, in terms Nobel Laureate in Chemistry a videotape had a two hour of degradation, all-solid-state Honorary Fellow, Asahi Kasei Corporation storage capacity, it seems that President, LIBTEC NEDO Chairman the all-important camera battery lithium-ion batteries demonstrate would only allow filming for great potential since they exhibit Special 30 minutes. Given the small less physical degradation Dr. YOSHINO Akira Conversation ISHIZUKA Hiroaki size, light weight, and long than conventional lithium-ion life of lithium-ion batteries, batteries. the movement to apply them commercially in their early years of development was a major A Future Created by Storage Batteries impetus for further research and development. Then, in 1995, -Breakthroughs Leading to Technology Development- a full-fledged market for them began to emerge in a big way. Dr. Yoshino explaining production process used in LIBTEC project on conventional lithium-ion batteries YOSHINO Akira ISHIZUKA Hiroaki Special Conversation A Future Created by Storage Batteries -Breakthroughs Leading to Technology Development- and development side by using materials informatics, namely by today, but what kind of research environment do you think Japan analyzing big data using AI and other means. With competition for should pursue in this day and age? technology development intensifying, what do you think is necessary Yoshino: In the past, new ideas for technology came out of academia to succeed? and, after seeing these new ideas, companies started their own Yoshino: Not only with regard to storage batteries, I believe that two research and of course company researchers also published their Dr. Yoshino explaining latest results regarding development of laminated all-solid-state breakthroughs are necessary to realize commercial technologies. results in the form of research papers. At present, however, potential lithium-ion batteries The first is a breakthrough related to basic research. In the case work areas for companies have expanded and, at a time when it has of the all-solid-state lithium-ion battery, the discovery in 2011 of become necessary to focus more on applied research, there seem to Dr. YOSHINO In 1970, Dr. Yoshino graduated from the Department of Petrochemistry in an outstanding solid-state electrolyte by Dr. KANNO Ryoji of the be various opinions about basic research. the Faculty of Engineering at Kyoto University. In 1972, he completed his Tokyo Institute of Technology was definitely a major breakthrough Ishizuka: NEDO's mission is to bring industry, academia, and Akira master’s degree at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering Honorary Fellow, Asahi and then began work the same year at Asahi Kasei Corporation. Since in basic research. The next breakthrough is the mass production government entities together to promote innovation, so there are Kasei Corporation 2001, he has served at various positions at Asahi Kasei, including the President, LIBTEC Manager of the Battery Materials Business Development Department, stage. Including its cost aspect, if the materials suitable for mass many things we need to do. the General Manager of the Yoshino Laboratory, and as an Advisor. In production and the production technology are not properly matched, Yoshino: By all means, I hope NEDO can both establish research 2010, he was appointed President of LIBTEC. In 2004, he was awarded the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon by the Japanese Government. Dr. the technology will not be commercially viable. In that sense, I areas that stimulate the curiosity of academia and also serve as a Yoshino has been the recipient of numerous other awards, including the Exchanging views next to prototype all-solid-state lithium-ion battery being Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering (2014), the Japan Prize (2018), developed by LIBTEC under NEDO project believe that all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries are now at a decisive conduit for connecting industry with the great discoveries born out the European Inventor Award (2019), and the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

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