The Tohoku ILC Promotion Council held its 2019 annual meeting at a hotel in Sendai City on July 1st. There, they adopted a resolution to call on the Japanese national government to make a speedy decision on the ILC. They also affirmed that they would work to convey how enthusiastic the area is for the ILC at the Linear Collider Workshop to be held in Sendai City in October.
Around 190 people were in attendance, including the joint-chairs of the Tohoku Promotion Council Hideo Ono (also president of Tohoku University) and Hiroaki Takahashi (honorary chairman of the Tohoku Economic Federation), as well as Governor Takuya Tasso of Iwate, Governor Yoshihiro Murai of Miyagi, and Kunihisa Yamura (chair of the Iwate ILC Promotion Council).
Their resolution was made in anticipation of the next European strategy for particle physics that will be established next May (for 2020-2024), and stated that they would call on the Japanese national government to make a speedy decision on the ILC: “It is extremely important that our nation makes a clear statement of its intentions towards the ILC.”
It is also crucial that the ILC be placed within the Science Council of Japan’s Master Plan, which will be finalized in February 2020, so the Tohoku ILC Promotion Council is planning to visit with the government this fall when discussions will be at their peak. During the Linear Collider Workshop (LCWS) in October, they will set up a booth showcasing Tohoku technology companies, as well as information on cuisine and sightseeing in the area.
As soon as this month, intergovernmental discussions will kick off between Japan, France, and Germany about the ILC. Mr. Ono said, “We are moving steadily forward, and the next half-year to a year shall be the peak of our preparations to get a decision.”
Former Minister of Internal Affairs Hiroya Masuda (also formerly the governor of Iwate), gave a presentation. “The ILC will be a great project when looked at for its potential to develop the region. It will be important to get it put in the next National Spatial Strategies (plans regarding the use, improvement and conservation of national land).”