CPES-AIST-ECPE: a three-way conversation featured in OHM magazine

The October issue of OHM (Originality, Humanity, Mobility) -- Japan's science and engineering magazine -- featured a 3-way conversation between the three power electronics centers in the U.S., Japan and Europe -- CPES (Center for Power Electronics Systems), AIST PERC (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Power Electronics Research Center), and ECPE (European Center for Power Electronics). The 13-page article highlights the conversation between Dr. Dushan Boroyevich, CPES Co-Director, Dr. Hiromichi Ohashi, AIST PERC Deputy Director, and Dr. Leo Lorenz, ECPE President. Their dialogue covered the respective centers' visions and objectives, organization structures, industrial partnerships, research funding, education programs, and global collaborations.

This 3-way conversation, which took place during the Fourth Power Conversion Conference (PCC) in April 2007 in Nagoya, Japan, was one of many such communications between the three centers in recent years. The three centers initiated these conversations when it became clear that while power electronics is a critical enabling technology for solving much of society's energy and environmental issues, it has yet to gain public recognition and attention. Recognizing that the absence of a clear technology roadmap and somewhat fragmented research efforts have contributed to this problem, the three centers began to meet and brainstorm on addressing this issue. To date, all three centers have organized workshops to engage global power electronics researchers and educators to discuss how we could jointly develop a high-level power electronics roadmap that would provide technology guidance and serve as a means of communicating the importance of the discipline to governments and the public at large. In the U.S., CPES has organized two "Research Outreach Workshops" (November 2005 and October 2006). In Japan, AIST has organized two "International Workshops on Power Electronics New Wave" (April 2005 and June 2006). In Europe, ECPE has organized the "ECPE Workshop on Power Electronics Research & Technology Roadmaps," held in Copenhagen, Denmark in September 2007. In each workshop, all three centers were active participants, sharing their respective roadmap development approach and providing updates on ongoing activities. The CPES roadmap presentation, "Power Electronics Technology Roadmap Developments at CPES," is available online to Principal-level members. (Please note: Principal-level member password required) With supplemental funding from the National Science Foundation, CPES is planning the 3rd Outreach Workshop, to be held in April 2008 in conjunction with the CPES Annual Conference. Once again, AIST and ECPE will be invited to join force with CPES and work on enhancing the role of power electronics in advancing sustainable energy to benefit society at large.

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