Dr. Kinya Sakanishi, Director , Biomass Technology Research Center

Research Core for Asian Biomass Energy (ABECORE) aims to promote the development of production technology and to establish standard production criteria for biomass energy on the basis of the Japanese government’s energy-related cooperation initiative. We also strive to promote international cooperation between the research talents associated with the development of technology relevant to the above purposes as also to facilitate their training.

1. It is the requirement of the hour to formulate a policy to promote joint research on production technology and to facilitate the adoption of standard criteria for biomass energy. The policy should also aim at joint cooperation between Japan and other East Asian countries in order to assure energy security.
2. Long-term cooperative relations need to be established between Japan and other East Asian countries for the expansive use of biomass energy and the continuation of joint researches, talent training, and international cooperation.
3. A continuously operating key organization needs to be established and maintained for the promulgation of standard criteria and the implementation of international cooperation toward the abovementioned objectives.

ABECORE was established on April 1, 2007 in response to the abovementioned needs. (See “AIST Today,” Vol.7-6, June 2007., in Japanese)
Today, ABECORE is operating steadily, mainly through three research units (The Biomass Technology Research Center, Research Center for New Fuels and Vehicle Technology, and Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability ).

• Personnel exchange and training programs
• Working group for the ERIA energy project

* ERIA=Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia

• The Biomass Asia Project Team (BAPT)
• “Research and Technological Development for Sustainable Biomass Utilization in Asian Countries” funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
• The Biomass Asia Workshop
• The Palm Industry Complex Concept

E-mail: abecore@m.aist.go.jp