- Email: [email protected]
Words from the new E-MRS president
CONTENTS ~rial
Editorial
- Words from the new E.MRS
President
13
As the newly elected President of the European Materials Research Society, I would like to take this opportunity to address a few words to our members.
E-MRS 1999 Spring Meeting Includes Eclectic Blend of M ~
Topics
Detailed reports of selected symposia from the E-MRS Spring Meeting ! 999
14
17
Past President of E-MRS appointed new Director of N M R C
WORDS FROM THE NEW E-MRS PRESIDENT
20
As is well known, our Society is currently the leading European Society in functional materials, a reputation which has been deservedly earned, thanks to the excellent job of our past Presidents and the Secretary General. But it is also recognised that some small changes in orientation will have to be considered if our Society wants to adapt itself to the new economic situation, especially in reference to research funding for science and engineering, both public (Government, European Community, etc.) as well as private (industry). For instance, at present it is dear that funds for basic research are perilously diminishing and most research money is being diverted by our policy-makers into solving urgent societal needs, sometimes with a short-range view. However, from the point of view of solving long-term needs of our society, we are in a very favourable starting position, since research in materials, as opposed to basic solid-state or condensed matter physics, is always oriented, by its very nature, to applications, and the financial aspects of this research have always to be considered. Therefore one of our main aims should be to make the society aware that research in materials is at the nucleus of most societal needs: improving the environment through materials recycling and the new concept of ecoefficiency; medical attention, through biomaterials and biosensors; energy saving based on efficient photovoltaic cells, etc.
E-MRS Organization General Secretary: P. Siffert E-MRS, BP 20, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France Te1:+33388 106543 Fax:+33388 106293 E-mail: [email protected] E-MRS Executive Committee: I. Boyd, London, UK R. Ciach, Krakow, Poland (Vice President- Central and Eastern Europe) G. M. Crean. Cork, Ireland - Past President R Glasow, Erlangen, Germany H. U. Habermeier, Stuttgart, Germany (Immediate Past President 1998-1999) J. Martinez Duart, Madrid, Spain (PresidentJune 1999 - June 2000) J. R Massue, Strasbourg,France (Representative Council of Europe) P. Pinard, Villeurbanne, France R Siffert, Strasbourg, France B. Stritzker, Augsburg. Germany J.Wurm, Waterloo, Belgium (RepresentativeEuropeanCommission) Editor E-MRS News: R Kelly NMRC Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork, Ireland Te1:+353 21 904183 Fax:+35321 270271 E-mail: [email protected] E-MRS 1999 Conference Chairmen: R Glasow Fichtestrasse 14, 91054 Erlangen,Germany Te1:+499131 23 137 Fax;+499131 203 133 G. Crean NMRC Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork, Ireland Tel: +353 21 904256 Fax:+353 21 270271 E-mail: [email protected]
In a global economy, it seems that there is only space for relatively large scientific societies and most of the pure national ones are losing sense. From this point of view, I would like to welcome the new close cooperation between the two major materials related Societies in Europe, FEMS and E-MRS which are finding new ways of collaboration. These two Societies are ready to act, whenever possible, as a link between the EC structure and the numerous and small topical Societies in the different branches of Materials Science. One obvious aim should be to try to coordinate the numerous and often overlapping conferences on Advanced Materials in Europe. Other aims should be to provide input to the EC for the formulation of European Programs in Materials, identify topics of new industrial interest (e.g., new applications of nanomaterials, advanced materials for energy saving), exchange data bases of European materials experts and their research activities, provide help in the development of new curricula to those countries still lacking high standard courses on Advanced Materials at the University level, etc. Recently, the society's conferences in Strasbourg have been a success, both from the point of view of the quality of the papers (over 1200 being presented) as well as the ever increasing numbers of attendants. Our main focus has been on functional materials, but this is somewhat limiting the types of industries interested in our Conference. Therefore one of our aims should be to broaden our spectrum and get more scientists from industry in the organisation of our well recognised topical Symposia. This should also increase the number of our exhibitors since the equipment exhibition draws the attention of both scientists and vendors, who have a good opportunity to meet each other face to face. Another of our objectives this year is to strengthen further the links between our Society and other international societies through the International Union of Materials Research Societies. IUMRS was established in 1991 to facilitate international cooperation between materials societies, and the present Vice-President of IUMRS belongs to our Society. We are also going to follow our traditional close cooperation with the Materials Societies of Central and Eastern European countries, especially those currently in the process of joining the EC, in order to identify areas where closer contacts should be established and hold common seminars on selected topics. Many of these new challenges will be easier to handle with the new structure of our Socie~ Now a new Board of Delegates has been elected during the last E-MRS Meeting (June 1999) comprising: a) Previous Symposium Organisers to ensure scientifically active people, b) Previous E-MRS officers, like past Presidents and Secretary Generals to strengthen continuity, and c) Coopted members. At the same time the Executive Committee will consist of 15 members, about half of them elected and the other half coopted. As before, the Society will be represented by the President, two Vice-Presidents and the Secretary General. Finally, I would like to say a few words about our agreement with Elsevier, which has proven itself to be very beneficial to both organisations, especially since "Materials Today", provided free of charge to EMRS members, started to be published almost two years ago. In my opinion Elsevier has done an excellent work in the publication of all our Symposia, usually both as a Volume of the Proceedings and now for the first time in 1999 as a CD-ROM and also in appropriate Elsevier scientific journals. J.M. Martinez-Duart E-MRS President 1999-2000
13
Editorial
- Words from the new E.MRS
President
13
As the newly elected President of the European Materials Research Society, I would like to take this opportunity to address a few words to our members.
E-MRS 1999 Spring Meeting Includes Eclectic Blend of M ~
Topics
Detailed reports of selected symposia from the E-MRS Spring Meeting ! 999
14
17
Past President of E-MRS appointed new Director of N M R C
WORDS FROM THE NEW E-MRS PRESIDENT
20
As is well known, our Society is currently the leading European Society in functional materials, a reputation which has been deservedly earned, thanks to the excellent job of our past Presidents and the Secretary General. But it is also recognised that some small changes in orientation will have to be considered if our Society wants to adapt itself to the new economic situation, especially in reference to research funding for science and engineering, both public (Government, European Community, etc.) as well as private (industry). For instance, at present it is dear that funds for basic research are perilously diminishing and most research money is being diverted by our policy-makers into solving urgent societal needs, sometimes with a short-range view. However, from the point of view of solving long-term needs of our society, we are in a very favourable starting position, since research in materials, as opposed to basic solid-state or condensed matter physics, is always oriented, by its very nature, to applications, and the financial aspects of this research have always to be considered. Therefore one of our main aims should be to make the society aware that research in materials is at the nucleus of most societal needs: improving the environment through materials recycling and the new concept of ecoefficiency; medical attention, through biomaterials and biosensors; energy saving based on efficient photovoltaic cells, etc.
E-MRS Organization General Secretary: P. Siffert E-MRS, BP 20, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France Te1:+33388 106543 Fax:+33388 106293 E-mail: [email protected] E-MRS Executive Committee: I. Boyd, London, UK R. Ciach, Krakow, Poland (Vice President- Central and Eastern Europe) G. M. Crean. Cork, Ireland - Past President R Glasow, Erlangen, Germany H. U. Habermeier, Stuttgart, Germany (Immediate Past President 1998-1999) J. Martinez Duart, Madrid, Spain (PresidentJune 1999 - June 2000) J. R Massue, Strasbourg,France (Representative Council of Europe) P. Pinard, Villeurbanne, France R Siffert, Strasbourg, France B. Stritzker, Augsburg. Germany J.Wurm, Waterloo, Belgium (RepresentativeEuropeanCommission) Editor E-MRS News: R Kelly NMRC Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork, Ireland Te1:+353 21 904183 Fax:+35321 270271 E-mail: [email protected] E-MRS 1999 Conference Chairmen: R Glasow Fichtestrasse 14, 91054 Erlangen,Germany Te1:+499131 23 137 Fax;+499131 203 133 G. Crean NMRC Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork, Ireland Tel: +353 21 904256 Fax:+353 21 270271 E-mail: [email protected]
In a global economy, it seems that there is only space for relatively large scientific societies and most of the pure national ones are losing sense. From this point of view, I would like to welcome the new close cooperation between the two major materials related Societies in Europe, FEMS and E-MRS which are finding new ways of collaboration. These two Societies are ready to act, whenever possible, as a link between the EC structure and the numerous and small topical Societies in the different branches of Materials Science. One obvious aim should be to try to coordinate the numerous and often overlapping conferences on Advanced Materials in Europe. Other aims should be to provide input to the EC for the formulation of European Programs in Materials, identify topics of new industrial interest (e.g., new applications of nanomaterials, advanced materials for energy saving), exchange data bases of European materials experts and their research activities, provide help in the development of new curricula to those countries still lacking high standard courses on Advanced Materials at the University level, etc. Recently, the society's conferences in Strasbourg have been a success, both from the point of view of the quality of the papers (over 1200 being presented) as well as the ever increasing numbers of attendants. Our main focus has been on functional materials, but this is somewhat limiting the types of industries interested in our Conference. Therefore one of our aims should be to broaden our spectrum and get more scientists from industry in the organisation of our well recognised topical Symposia. This should also increase the number of our exhibitors since the equipment exhibition draws the attention of both scientists and vendors, who have a good opportunity to meet each other face to face. Another of our objectives this year is to strengthen further the links between our Society and other international societies through the International Union of Materials Research Societies. IUMRS was established in 1991 to facilitate international cooperation between materials societies, and the present Vice-President of IUMRS belongs to our Society. We are also going to follow our traditional close cooperation with the Materials Societies of Central and Eastern European countries, especially those currently in the process of joining the EC, in order to identify areas where closer contacts should be established and hold common seminars on selected topics. Many of these new challenges will be easier to handle with the new structure of our Socie~ Now a new Board of Delegates has been elected during the last E-MRS Meeting (June 1999) comprising: a) Previous Symposium Organisers to ensure scientifically active people, b) Previous E-MRS officers, like past Presidents and Secretary Generals to strengthen continuity, and c) Coopted members. At the same time the Executive Committee will consist of 15 members, about half of them elected and the other half coopted. As before, the Society will be represented by the President, two Vice-Presidents and the Secretary General. Finally, I would like to say a few words about our agreement with Elsevier, which has proven itself to be very beneficial to both organisations, especially since "Materials Today", provided free of charge to EMRS members, started to be published almost two years ago. In my opinion Elsevier has done an excellent work in the publication of all our Symposia, usually both as a Volume of the Proceedings and now for the first time in 1999 as a CD-ROM and also in appropriate Elsevier scientific journals. J.M. Martinez-Duart E-MRS President 1999-2000
13