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Nagamori Foundation held the Seventh Nagamori Awards Ceremony on Sunday, September 5, 2021 to honor the winners of the awards and the recipients of the research grant for 2021.
Because of the impact of COVID-19, continuing from the last event, the ceremony was held at Miyako Hall of Nidec Corporation Annex Global Learning Center as the main venue, having the winners and the research grant recipients attending remotely and was streamed live via Web to approximately 210 people including many academics, and those related to Nagamori Foundation.
After the presentations by the six award winners followed by the review from the members of Nagamori Foundation’s Review Committee, Dr. Tom Oomen, Full Professor, Eindhoven University of Technology was chosen as the Grand Nagamori Award winner.
The ceremony began with Prof. Hori, the Review Committee’s Chair, explaining how the winners were selected, followed by the announcement of the Seventh Grand Nagamori Award Winner. Each winner received a commendation certificate and a prize trophy from Mr. Nagamori, President of Nagamori Foundation, and then representing the award winners, Dr. Oomen delivered a speech to express the pleasure of receiving the Grand Nagamori Award.
The next part of the ceremony was to present research grants (“Research Grant 2021”) to the 30 young researchers, mostly associate or assistant professors (10 new and 20 renewal recipients).
Dr. Jun Shintake, Assistant Professor of The University of Electro-Communications, gave a speech to appreciate the grant on behalf of all the grant recipients.
Mr. FUJIWARA Makoto, Vice Minister of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology – Japan, appeared remotely and gave a congratulatory address. The ceremony ended in great success.
Dr. Tom Oomen
(Full Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology)
It is a great honor to receive the highly prestigious Seventh Grand Nagamori award. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Mr. Nagamori, President of the Nagamori Foundation, the Selection Committee, and everyone involved in the process for selecting me. Motors are the key technology that enable motion and are at the heart of virtually any success in our society today, including healthcare, transportation, and communication. I have been fortunate with a large team of brilliant young researchers who have worked with great dedication towards fundamental breakthroughs in advanced motion control for precision mechatronics. Our new data-driven learning algorithms together with new motor concepts have enabled a new generation of highly accurate and extremely fast mechatronic systems. It has been very stimulating to implement our results with industrial colleagues and improve the world's most advanced wafer stage technology for lithographic integrated circuit production, which enables continuing Moore's law and allow major technological developments to benefit society. Also, improving electron microscopes and telescopes to facilitate new scientific discoveries through learning control for new motor concepts has been highly rewarding for me. At the same time, I have had the pleasure to work with domain experts to improve wind turbine control for clean energy generation and accurate control of blower motors for mechanical ventilation of patients in intensive care. Indeed, motor technology and control are ubiquitous, and I strongly believe it has a key role in our sustainable future.
The recognition of the Grand Nagamori award is an encouragement to continue contributing to these sustainable development goals, through new high quality and impactful scientific research but foremost through training of and collaborating with talented young individuals. Indeed, I would like to thank all former students and colleagues who joined me on this fantastic journey, academic and industrial collaborators worldwide, and my family.
