Investment in research for new environmental technologies is not only needed to improve energy efficiency and reduce polluting emissions, but it also serves as an important indicator of economic growth. This is the case with the Asian countries, and could be for Italy, which – given the high standard of its graduates – should be doing more to capitalize on the work of its researchers. In the interview below, Edoardo Magnone, a member of Aspen Italia’s “Italian talent abroad” group, describes his experiences of working in the field of new energy research, first in Japan and now in Korea.
According to your paper, the ability to develop new technologies is becoming one of the most important indicators of economic growth. Is it Asia in particular that you were referring to?
Asia is at the center of research into energy. Indeed, 40% of the world’s researchers in this field are Asian, and 30% of the funding for research comes from Japan, China and Korea. Beijing alone has increased investment by 160% in the last 5 years, and the number of researchers by 75%, whereas worldwide it was 24%. Alternative energies require an enormous amount of research and the public sector maintains ongoing relations along the entire chain: in China, for example, 80% of funding goes to applied research, a similar percentage to that in Korea.
What conditions are enabling these countries to be at the cutting edge?
I work in a South Korean government institution where there are 250 in-house researchers and around 500 associates. When you consider the projects we’re working on, our human resources might seem limited, but what makes a difference is that the researchers are highly productive. It’s not a matter of training. In fact, every time I work with Italians, I find their skill levels to be significantly higher than those of their Asian counterparts, particularly as they show great flexibility and creativity. Rather, the difference lies in working conditions: in addition to better pay, many Asian countries offer researchers a variety of extras, such as assistance with family relocation. The philosophy is basically this: if you’re looked after outside of work, you’re more productive in work. It’s a model that would certainly be worthwhile to export to Italy.
In which areas of energy research are Asian countries investing most?
Currently, there’s a lot of work being done on CO2 reduction through capture, storage and processing. Here in Korea, there are several government research institutes dedicated to dealing with this issue. The difference with what’s happening elsewhere is that these projects are not directly linked to compliance with international treaties on pollution reduction. The real goal is to put in place long-term projects that yield a return on funding. 30-40% of pollutant emissions come from Asia, but these countries are the ones that are investing the most in tackling the problem. And it shouldn’t be forgotten that while China is a big polluter, it’s definitely also the largest producer of alternative energy.
How has a chemist such as yourself come to work in the field of new energy?
I graduated in chemistry in Genoa but I specialized in materials science, and after doing some research at the University of Tokyo, I was called to Daejeon to work for the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER). I’ve been working in Asia for nine years now, and I’m currently focusing on the process of purifying and producing hydrogen, so that it can then be used in fuel cells. Although we’re not close to the advent of a full-fledged hydrogen economy, I believe that our research could contribute to the creation of an integrated system of alternative energy sources. What’s more, this is a field that not only produces results from an environmental perspective, but also promises great impacts on the financial and employment front.
