Report on the ERATO ADACHI Molecular Exciton Engineering Project Kickoff Meeting

On 23 May 2014 (Fri.), a kickoff meeting was held for the ERATO ADACHI Molecular Exciton Engineering Project at Kyushu University’s Inamori Hall.

Directed by Kyushu University Professor and Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research (OPERA) Director Chihaya Adachi, this project aims to develop next-generation organic-based optoelectronic devices, with organic electroluminescence as a base, and will pursue the establishment of new scientific principles, the creation of functional materials, and the realization of new optoelectronic devices. The project was initiated in December of last year, with research starting in earnest this past April.

The kickoff meeting was hosted by OPERA to spread the news of the project’s inauguration and initiatives and to foster relationships with local officials, businesses, campus students and faculty, and others. Approximately 140 people attended, including those working on the project, invited guests, members of the general public, and reporters.

The meeting began with welcome remarks from Kyushu University Executive Vice President Hiroto Yasuura and JST Executive Director Shoichiro Tonomura followed by congratulatory remarks from Fukuoka Prefecture Vice Governor Seitaro Hattori, Fukuoka City Deputy Mayor Masanao Nakazono, and DENSO Corporation Electronics Research Division Project Director Yutaka Hattori. Next, JST Department of Research Project Director Motohide Seya explained the structure of the ERATO program and the previous ERATO projects directed by Kyushu University personnel. Then, Research Director Adachi spoke about the research results of his project performed under the Japanese Cabinet Offices’ Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (FIRST Program), which served as a springboard for the ERATO project, along with the outline and the goals of the new project.

One of the highlights of the kickoff meeting was the invited guest lecture from 2010 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry Akira Suzuki, Professor Emeritus, Hokkaido University. Professor Suzuki gave a thought-provoking talk on Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, which is indispensable for the development of materials for organic electronics.

Lastly, Dr. Masuo Aizawa, officer of the panel that selected Professor Adachi as an ERATO Research Director, discussed his expectations for the project before the meeting came to a close.

The meeting was an excellent opportunity not only to introduce this project, but also to cultivate a common mindset among those involved and to generate enthusiasm to tackle the research challenges ahead. We hope that everyone will look forward to the activities of the ERATO ADACHI Molecular Exciton Engineering Project.