Dr. Kotaro Honda, the founder of the Institute for Materials Research, possessed both a spirit of applying science and technology to people's lives and an interdisciplinary sensibility. In 1933, the Institute collaborated with the National Research Institute of Industrial Arts, which was in Sendai, to establish a company that manufactured souvenirs using KS magnet steel. This long-established company is still known today for ʻTamamushi lacquerware,’ Sendai souvenirs that utilize silver.
Ninety years since then, the Institute for Materials Research, which has contributed to the advancement of natural science as a joint usage and research center in a broad range of materials science fi elds, is now embarking on a signifi cant challenge in interdisciplinary areas once again.
IKH Hub project aims to cultivate a broad research community where researchers' intellectual curiosity is satisfied, and new ideas emerge through discussions among researchers from different fields and through the materials themselves.
Collaborations with young artists and partnerships with numerous research institutions both domestically and internationally have already begun.
