Event Report : The 1st ECCS International Symposium

On Friday, January 16, the 1st International Symposium: Light Opening the Frontiers of Science was held at the Sendai Kokusai Hotel and online (hybrid format), organized by the Executive Committee for Coalition Strategy (ECCS).

This symposium was held on the same day as the "AOBA SUMMIT," which gathered representatives from synchrotron radiation facilities around the world. Under the theme "Light Opening the Frontiers of Science," leading researchers from universities participating in the coalition gathered to share cutting-edge research results and discuss future scientific prospects utilizing NanoTerasu. The event was attended by approximately 120 participants from industry, academia, and government, including both on-site and online attendees.

Prior to the opening, Hiroo Yugami, Chair of ECCS and Executive Vice President of Tohoku University, delivered the opening remarks. Chair Yugami emphasized that NanoTerasu is not merely a measurement facility but a place for "co-creation" where diverse institutions collaborate. He expressed his expectation that this symposium would serve as a starting point for innovation that drives social change.

[Session Highlights] The lectures shared the latest findings across a wide range of fields, including structural science, quantum materials, catalytic chemistry, and agricultural and biological sciences.

In Invited Talks 1, lectures were given by Professor Eiji Nishibori of the University of Tsukuba on synchrotron X-ray diffraction and scattering research; Associate Professor Atsushi Hariki of Osaka Metropolitan University on the exploration of Altermagnetism using X-ray spectroscopy; and Professor Mizuki Tada of Nagoya University on the application of photon science toward Deep Catalysis.

In Invited Talks 2, held after the break, Professor Masahiko Harata of Tohoku University introduced initiatives regarding the visualization of regional specialty products and biological samples as prospects for the agricultural use of NanoTerasu. Additionally, Dr. Viorica (Ibi) Bondici from the Canadian Light Source (CLS) was welcomed as a special invited speaker. She delivered a lecture incorporating specific examples on the integrated use of multi-scale X-ray fluorescence imaging in agricultural science from an international perspective.

[Closing] For the closing remarks, Masaki Takata, President of the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC), took the podium. President Takata expressed strong expectations for the future opened up by NanoTerasu and the Coalition, stating that the research results and enthusiasm demonstrated at this symposium would serve as the driving force to step into unknown territories, and brought the symposium to a successful close.

The symposium was attended by many overseas synchrotron facility officials, researchers and students from domestic academic research institutions, and industry representatives via the venue and online, leading to lively discussions and exchanges of opinions. It served as a significant opportunity for industry-academia-government co-creation centered on NanoTerasu and for the expansion of international research networks.