Asahi Kasei Honorary Fellow Dr. Akira Yoshino has been nominated as a finalist for the European Inventor Award 2019 by the European Patent Office (EPO) in the category of Non-EPO countries for his invention and refinement of the lithium-ion battery.

Launched by the EPO in 2006, the European Inventor Award annually honors individual inventors and teams of inventors for their contribution towards technical progress, social development, and economic prosperity. It is awarded in the five categories of Industry, Research, Non-EPO countries, Small and medium-sized enterprises, and Lifetime achievement, along with the Popular Prize which is chosen from among the finalists by online voting on the EPO website.

Several innovations and developments from Japan have been recognized with this nomination, such as blue LEDs, immuno-suppressant therapy drug, power control system for hybrid automobile, the QR code, and carbon nanotubes. Dr. Yoshino's development of the lithium-ion battery is the 6th Japanese achievement to earn nomination as a finalist for the award.

Winners are selected from among the three finalist inventors or teams nominated in each of the five categories. Announcement of the winners in each category and the winner of the Popular Prize will be made at the award ceremony on June 20, 2019, in Vienna, Austria.

Vote for Popular Prize here:

https://www.epo.org/learning-events/european-inventor/popular-prize.html

Developed by Dr. Yoshino in 1983, the lithium-ion battery has been widely adopted in various electronic devices as a safe lightweight rechargeable battery, enhancing portability as the digital age began in the 1990s, ushering in the IT revolution and our current society of mobile connectivity. Furthermore, the lithium-ion battery is playing a growing role in measures to counter global warming, by powering electric vehicles and by enabling the effective storage and use of electricity from unstable sources of renewable energy. As such, the lithium-ion battery will thus continue to be increasingly important for the sustainability of our society.

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