Singapore experts and Japanese chemical leaders share green innovations for industry
Two-day conference devoted to discussing new chemistry R&D to promote sustainability and eco-friendly processes for the reduction of environmental impact and manufacturing cost. Creating fuels and materials using green processes is one of the topics discussed in a new approach to make acids -- the building blocks to make nylon and plastics from biomass.
1. Singapore, 20 October 2011- Increasingly, ‘green’ chemical processes are being used to promote environmental sustainability and to develop new materials and processes for a variety of industries. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) together with The Chemical Daily is organising the “Japan-Singapore Chemicals R&D Conference 2011- Innovation for Sustainable Growth”. This two-day conference highlights emerging chemical and chemical engineering R&D and brings chemistry experts together to share and exchange ideas on cost-effective and eco-friendly chemical processes that can be used in making pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals, petrochemicals and consumer care products, whilst promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact.
2. Chemistry can play a major role in improving the quality of life by enabling the manufacture of the goods and materials that we need whilst mitigating adverse environmental impact. By developing new chemical reactions, new processes and sustainable routes to produce, along with novel environmentally benign materials, we can achieve low carbon processes that make high value products that are safe for humans and solve energy and sustainability challenges. Companies and research organisations such as A*STAR’s research institutes, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES) and Institute of Materials and Research Engineering (IMRE), lead the charge in tackling these challenges via cutting edge research in chemistry and materials science.
3. ““The Japan-Singapore Chemicals R&D Conference 2011 is an excellent platform bringing together experts from Japan, Singapore and other parts of the world, to discuss and germinate ideas for chemicals innovation. This year’s theme on “Innovation for Sustainable Growth” has never been more apt as the world actively searches for solutions that face humanity in the resource-constrained and carbon-sensitive future. We look forward to the vibrant discussions that we will have over the next 2 days on how innovations in chemical reactions and processes can improve production quality in the petrochemical industry with sustainable, clean and cost-effective technologies”, said Dr Raj Thampuran, Executive Director, Science and Engineering Council, A*STAR.
4. "Japan and Singapore have enjoyed a close and successful partnership in chemicals and chemistry since the earliest days of the Singapore chemical industry," said Osamu Odajima, President, The Chemical Daily. "As Japan's leading daily newspaper for the chemical industry, The Chemical Daily has tracked and reported on the progress of this partnership through its Singapore bureau. We are now delighted and honoured to be able to support 'the next step' in this collaboration by organising this conference in partnership with Singapore's pre-eminent research body, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research."
5. The nine speakers for the conference will speak on chemical green processes on the first day of the conference and sustainable and impactful green solutions for society and industries the following day. The invited speakers include:
Professor Kenichiro Itami- Nagoya University, Japan
Showcasing an ideal chemical synthesis and for generating new functional molecules useful in the development of materials science and pharmaceutical science.
Dr. PK Wong – Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, Singapore
A new approach to make lactic acid and adipic acid from biomass.
Professor Takashi Kato – The University of Tokyo, Japan
To develop futuristic materials, which are highly functional and environmentally-friendly.
Professor Loh Teck Peng, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Discovery of New Environmental Friendly Synthetic Methods and their applications in Organic Synthesis
Chemistry plays a vital role since it involves the synthesis of complex molecules such as drugs, perfumes, materials, fertilizers, pesticides. It is essential to develop green chemical processes to obtain high quality goods via sustainable technologies.
Dr. Terunori Fujita – Mitsui Chemicals Singapore
An introduction on new catalysts that can contribute to human development.
Garo Vaporciyan – Shell Chemicals, USA
Shell Chemicals’ strategy and approach to research and development and how this led to new developments for Diphenyl carbonate (DPC) and the polycarbonate value chain.
Hideo Kaneko, Sumika Technical Information Service, Japan
Technology toward Development of Green Chemicals.
Tarun Bhatia, Rio Tinto Minerals, Singapore
The Asia Technology Center: An Organisation Designed for Innovation.
Beryn John Adams, Lanxess, Singapore
An innovative process in reducing the Environmental Impact and Cost of Manufacturing.
6. The inaugural “Japan-Singapore Chemicals R&D Conference 2011- Innovation for Sustainable Growth” will be held on 20-21 October at Level 4, Matrix Building at Biopolis, Singapore.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Caroline CHIA
Tel: +65 6796 3884
Mobile: +65 91703988
Fax: +65 6873 4805
Email: chialic@scei.a-star.edu.sg
Mr. Yasuhiro WATANABE
Tel: +65 6324 9878
Mobile: +65 9731 4878
Fax: +65 6323 5521
Email: ya_watanabe@chemicaldaily.co.jp
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and six consortia & centres, located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis as well as their immediate vicinity.
A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners.
For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
About the Chemical Daily
The Chemical Daily is Japan's leading chemical-industry newspaper and we are celebrating our 75th anniversary in 2011. We have a strong daily readership in Japan and across Asia and provide a comprehensive coverage of the chemical industry, from basic and commodity chemicals to specialities.
We established overseas news bureaus in Singapore in 2000 and Shanghai in 2005 and we send our reporters to the US and EU on a regular basis to ensure our content and our perspective is truly global. In 2008, we launched our online English news service, Japan Chemical Web, which is updated every working day with the top stories in English from the previous day's edition of The Chemical Daily.
For more information about The Chemical Daily, please visit www.japanchemicalweb.jp
