1 Message from President
Our division, The Electronics Division, has smooth communication with electronics industry, which supports the information technology building and advancing the modern life and culture. The electronics industry is known to have many chemical engineers. There are about 5 % of the SCEJ industry members, according to the data from SCEJ.
When the university members has collaboration with the electronics industry members, more then 100 chemical engineering (ChE) professors (5% of university member) should perform the research and development of electronics. However, its number is probably less than 100.
Why less? The ChE professors may have less communication to share many issues and subjects with the electronics industry, although there are significant R&D needs for advancing the microelectronics-process and the nanotechnology. It indicates that the electronics industry may have less view of chemical engineering.
How is the engineering status of electronic industry? Figure 1 shows the amount of added value per employee in the chemical, plastics, steel, and electronics industries. The amount of added value per employee in the chemical industry remains high from 2002 to 2006, whereas those in the plastics and electronics industries are lower than chemical industry.
Why not high? Very fast advance in electronic technology unfortunately built large-scaled laboratory system in plant, instead of systematically-designed system. So many engineering subjects remain in the production line. Thus, the electronics industry is waiting for the chemical engineers, because the chemical engineering and its engineers have the great history to design and build their industry producing the high amount of added value per employee.
It is our pleasure for you to get any information from our home page and our division about current and future electronics issues, and to join us for solving various key subjects.
President of the Electronics Division, SCEJ
Hitoshi Habuka (Professor of Yokohama National University)