About

Green Transformation (GX), which seeks to simultaneously achieve resource and energy security, stable energy supplies, economic growth, sustainable use, and emissions reduction, is one of the most important challenges facing the world today. Addressing this challenge and realizing a sustainable society requires the development of innovative science and technology, as well as international collaboration to translate the resulting knowledge and achievements into societal applications.

Kyushu University is committed to advancing world-leading research and driving innovation. With a focus on four strategic research areas: Resource and Energy Security and GX; AI and Semiconductors; Drug Discovery and Advanced Healthcare; and Photonic and Quantum Materials. The University is accelerating efforts to generate world-class research outcomes. Within this framework, the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER) plays a vital role as a leading research organization in the field of “Resource and Energy Security and GX” and as a key driver of the University’s international research activities.

I²CNER was established in 2010 through its selection for the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology – Japan (MEXT), and became a WPI Academy institute in 2020. Since its establishment, I²CNER has brought together outstanding researchers from around the world and built a strong international network with leading universities and research institutions. It has advanced cutting-edge research essential to realizing a carbon-neutral society, including renewable energy, hydrogen production and utilization, highly efficient energy conversion, CO₂ separation, capture and utilization, and underground storage. At the same time, I²CNER has fostered international collaborative research that transcends disciplinary and national boundaries.

In addition, I²CNER is promoting interdisciplinary research that considers energy and resources in an integrated manner and is developing a research framework that encompasses the entire pathway from basic research to societal implementation. In particular, I²CNER is advancing collaborative research and researcher exchanges with world-leading universities and research institutions, including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with which Kyushu University is developing a strategic partnership. Through active international circulation of research talent, I²CNER is also committed to creating new knowledge and nurturing the next generation of researchers.

Kyushu University will further strengthen its partnerships with universities, research institutions, and industries around the world and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by creating outstanding research achievements and promoting their implementation in society. As a core research center in this endeavor, I²CNER is expected to play a leading role in creating green innovations that will shape the society of the future through collaboration with partners around the globe.

We sincerely appreciate your continued understanding and support for I²CNER’s activities.

International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER) was established in 2010 as the WPI Institute, the only institute at that time bearing “Carbon-Neutral Energy” as part of its name, and later joined the WPI Academy member in 2020. To date, I²CNER has promoted the societal value of basic research as part of WPI’s “Values for the Future” mission.

Climate change issues such as global warming are becoming more serious recently, and the shift to a carbon-neutral society based on renewable energy has become important and urgent global issue. There are still many difficult challenges exist for shifting from the current energy system that mainly uses fossil fuels to a society based on renewable energy and materials. However, for this, novel energy conversion technology as well as overall design of a social system which uses materials and energy linked each other is required.

Renewable energies such as solar and wind power are equally distributed to all people on earth, without regional segregation. However, renewable energy has large fluctuations and low energy density, so it is required to develop an effective method for leveling and increase in power density. At I²CNER, we are developing innovative materials and processes such as solar cells that efficiently convert solar energy to electricity, and steam electrolysis that can convert to hydrogen as an energy carrier. Considering CO₂ as a carbon resource and also a hydrogen carrier, the efficient conversion process of CO₂ to useful compounds are also developing. In particular, we are working on the development of materials that can separate CO₂ which is diluted, such as in the atmosphere. On the other hand, we are also investigating the development of new interdisciplinary science for innovative photocatalysts such as dye modification and enzyme, which can directly convert solar energy into hydrogen. Finally, underground storage of CO₂ will also be necessary for net decrease of CO₂ emission, and therefore, storage technology and the stability of stored CO₂ underground are further studied. We will contribute to a carbon-neutral society in a holistic approach, by creation of innovative science and engineering with interdisciplinary sciences at different time and distance scales.

I²CNER has focused on the creation of highly efficient conversion technology. As a next step, we newly added rapid conversion as a keyword and cultivate a new academic field by integrating disciplines. We aim to contribute to realizing a carbon-neutral energy society by social implementation of the basic research we have developed as the WPI Institute, and also by novel concepts including a scenario and design for renewable society.