Dr. Akira Yabe

Before entering NEDO as a Director General of Technology Strategy Center for Energy System & Hydrogen Units in April 2015, Mr. Yabe had been a Vice-President of AIST for 7 years as a Director General for Environment and Energy Research Fields. He completed his PhD in Mechanical Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology at 1979 and joined the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory (MEL) of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). He served as a Head of Fluid Engineering and Quantum Engineering Research Lab and Research Planning Office for MEL. He became a Director for Advanced Manufacturing Research Center on Micro and Nano Scale Science and Engineering, AIST on 2001, Director of AIST Chugoku Regional Research Center and Director of Research Collaboration Promotion Department.

Mr. Yabe was concurrently a Professor of Institute of Engineering Mechanics and Systems, University of Tsukuba (1992-2010), Adjunctive Professor of Science University of Tokyo (1995-2009), Russell Severance Springer Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (2001), Professor (Cooperative Chair) of Tokyo Institute of Technology (2005-2013), Adjunctive Professor of Kanazawa Institute of Technology (1997-2013). He also served as the President of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) (2013-2014).

He published the “Comprehensive R&D Principle for Sustainable Society (The NEDO’s Principle)” with the member of Technology Strategy Center of NEDO in February 2020 where the importance of “Circular Economy”, “Bio-economy” and “Sustainable Energy” would be stressed to realize the sustainable society.