Until recently, CNF has scarcely been adopted to industrial use due to the high cost of nanofiber-scale disintegration and its characteristics that are difficult to control and handle. However, its application as a functional and structural material is now expanding by adopting the method developed and discovered by Dr. Isogai and Dr. Yano.

Established in 1980, the Honda Prize is awarded annually to an individual or group to recognize accomplishments in the field of ecotechnology, which works to advance human achievement while concurrently preserving the natural and human environment, thus contributing to the creation of a truly humane civilization.

Utilizing CNF is the first step to transform the conventional way of manufacturing that is based on the fossil resource-dependent industry to creation of sustainable social infrastructure on which renewable materials are used to produce not only commodity goods but also high-performance parts and components and applied to industrial products such as automobiles and home appliances, as well as to building materials, packaging materials, etc.

As a consequence, this is considered as contributing to the Honda Foundation's goal—"Creating a truly humane civilization." Therefore, the reformation of the CNF production method and contributions to the expansion of its utilization area made by Dr. Isogai and Dr. Yano are considered appropriate for the Honda Prize recognition.

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*Honda Prize: Japan's first international science and technology award inaugurated in 1980.

*TEMPO: General term for an organic compound "2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl, radical"

*Ecotechnology: Coined from "ecology"—the house of civilization—and "technology." It has been put forward since 1979 as the guiding philosophy for a better symbiosis between technology-driven civilization and nature.