Important Historical Material on Chemical Technology Recognized by the National Museum of Nature and Science

 The National Museum of Nature and Science, under the auspices of the Research Committee on the History of Industrial Technology, conducted a five-year research project from 1997 on the evaluation, preservation, and disclosure of materials on the history of industrial technology, with the cooperation of industry, academia, and government. In addition to creating a database of where and how materials showing the development of Japan’s industrial technology remain, the research has examined the systematization of technology, the registration of materials, the networking of information on the history of industrial technology, and the formation of a new academic field on technological innovation. Based on these results, the History of Industrial Technology Research Committee formulated a concept in August 2001 that an information center for “the history of industrial technology to be useful for the future” needs to be established. Based on this concept, the National Museum of Nature and Science established the “Information Center for the History of Industrial Technology” in June 2002, and opened the center in June 2003. On September 14, 2021, the Fischer-Tropsch synthetic catalyst, prototypes, and related materials stored at the Institute of Chemical Research were recognized as the 302nd important historical material on chemical technology.