SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Comparing progress in HTS conductor development among the three countries, the United States and Japan are very comparable in Bi-2212 and Bi-2223 conductor development, with Germany lagging somewhat in long lengths. Bi-2223 is considered the conductor of choice by many organizations in Japan for most applications for the next five to ten years. Tl-1223 progress is dependent on small efforts in the United States and Japan, and its future seems uncertain. Y-123 coated conductors, on the other hand, are being intensively investigated by two or more groups in each of the three countries. This is a very promising new technology in its early stages, and many production processes are being pursued. Most WTEC hosts in Japan felt that a practical Y-123 coated conductor is at least five years away. The United States is ahead in short length performance but behind in longer length (1 m) scale tape production. Germany is lagging both efforts for conductors, but has some interesting work on large area films. Work on bulk conductors is dominated by strong efforts in Japan at Nippon Steel and ISTEC, but there are considerable progress and innovative applications at the University of Houston in the United States. Thus overall, the United States and Japan are producing materials with comparable performance, and Germany is a close third. Future prospects for improved materials will, of course, depend on the further availability of R&D funds.

Progress in improving HTS materials, and especially materials relevant to power applications, has been steady and continuous since the time of the JTEC study (Dresselhaus 1989) on HTS in Japan. Today, many prototype applications that use HTS materials, such as fault current limiters and transmission lines, are being built in Japan, Germany, and the United States. Progress has been tied directly to funding levels in these countries. In Japan and Germany, progress is strongly coupled to long-term national projects, such as Super-GM, ISTEC, and the BMBF program, and (for Japan) the needs of utilities. The utilities provide both direction and some economic support to HTS wire manufacturers. Clear market potential drives the development of new products in "old" industries looking for new markets, such as the wire and cable and the steel industries. Internal R&D funds in Japan and Germany are steady, and companies still are able to support long-range goals. Finally, the distinction between LTS and HTS conductor development is not as marked as in the United States -- they are simply superconductivity development programs. The level and scope of government and privately funded efforts in both Japan and Germany are the result of a clear belief that superconductivity will be an important 21st century technology. The United States must make a similar commitment if it is to maintain its position in the forefront of HTS conductor development.