[Brief translation]
The renovated Institute of Ocean Energy, Saga University, or IOES as its abbreviation, equipped with the most advanced facilities for the study of ocean-related technology was officially inaugurated on 14th of June, 2003 at Yamashiro-machi, Imari city, Saga prefecture, Japan. IOES shall keep playing its vital role as the world leader on the study of next-generation clean energy. It is also expected at the same time that IOES activities would vitalize local economy by inducing various private sector companies come out to this region. OTEC is a unique technology to generate electric power by utilization of differential temperatures of warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater. Prof. H. Uehara, presently the President of Saga University, has been devoting himself to technological development of this theory for 30 years. The "Uehara Cycle", one of his innovational developments, is a key to the successful implementation of OTEC theory into commercial use. Evaluating highly of the achievements of Saga University, Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, & Science, and Technology has nominated its R&D activity one of the technological advancement projects under the Center of Excellence (COE) Program in the 21st Century being promoted by the said Ministry. IOES is a 3-story building with total floor space of about 4,500m², located in "Imari Industrial Park" along Imari bay. The facilities and building cost about yen 4 billion.