Materials research using information-integrated new science

The Center for “Materials research by Information Integration” has been entrusted with a Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) project called the “Materials research by Information Integration” Initiative (MI²I). MI²I creates a system of industry–academia–government collaboration over a wide range of areas, from materials science to information and mathematical sciences. It also promotes the participation of companies from various fields in the creation of an open innovation hub for work on data-driven (information-integrated) materials research. This hub has the potential to change the way we do conventional materials research.

We not only work on specific themes such as storage battery materials, magnetic materials, thermal management, and thermoelectric materials; we also develop data-driven research methods. Through these activities, we are creating an information-integrated system for materials discovery and development that is available to researchers and engineers from industry, academia, and government at research and development sites. The materials database that NIMS has developed and improved over the years plays an important role in this work, and we intend to enrich the database and improve its usability.

In future, we plan to enhance the informatics used in measurement technology and processes and to use the basic technology of artificial intelligence (AI) to further advance and promote information-integrated materials development. We also intend to foster human resources on a systematic basis for continuous development of the Center.

Project Leader: Satoshi Itoh
Director, Center for Materials Research by Information Integration,
Research and Services Division of Materials Data and Integrated System (MaDIS), NIMS
Message from the Director

Objectives

• Rapidly develop and provide effective solutions by using data-driven materials science to meet the materials research challenges of industry.
• Use basic AI technology to develop the tools needed for new materials development packages, leading to dramatic innovations in materials research and development.
• Develop and improve a database available to both industry and academia and create a data platform for new materials development methods, which will be Japan’s potential intellectual assets in conjunction with the above-mentioned tools.