Advanced by Gold - World Gold Council Sponsors Prestigious Event to Showcase New Developments in Gold Technology

TOKYO, September 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The World Gold Council's most recent quarterly Gold Demand Trends report revealed that in the second quarter of 2012 over 112 tonnes of gold with a value of US$5.8bn were used for various technical applications. Demand is currently dominated by the electronics industry, which means that gold is often hidden away in many everyday objects and devices we take for granted, quietly and effectively helping to connect and develop communities across the world.

However, electronics are only part of the story. Huge swathes of technology are being advanced by gold in 2012, from the awe-inspiring NASA James Webb Space Telescope, whose enormous mirrors are coated with gold to help unravel the secrets of distant galaxies, to new cancer therapies currently undergoing clinical trials. Advancements of this sort stem from work currently under development in laboratories around the world. The GOLD2012 conference, sponsored by the World Gold Council, will showcase exciting new technologies in a range of fields such as medicine, nanotechnology and clean technology, from some of the world's leading scientists. At the closing ceremony of GOLD2012, Dr Trevor Keel of the World Gold Council and Professor Masatake Haruta of Tokyo Metropolitan University will also award prizes to the two winners of the inaugural World Gold Council Gold Scientist Prize. The work of these two early-stage researchers is at the cutting edge of technical development in the use of gold.

As Dr Trevor Keel, Head of Technology, World Gold Council said:

"The World Gold Council continually monitors the research and development landscape with a view to identifying and supporting promising new applications for gold. Recent years have seen the rise of nanotechnology, which has helped fuel a surge in gold-based research. GOLD2012 will bring together many of the world's leading researchers in the field, providing the perfect forum to advance technologies in critical areas of need such as cost-effective medical diagnostics, solar cell technologies and clean chemical processing.

"Thanks to the efforts of many thousands of researchers around the world, real progress is being made in these fields and it is exciting to see a new generation of technologies of significant value to society being advanced by gold."

The World Gold Council helps accelerate the rate at which developments in gold-based science are turned into practical new uses of the metal by partnering with organisations working at the cutting edge of technology. Where appropriate, the World Gold Council makes direct investments in promising technologies to help overcome the many hazards on the road to commercialisation. By providing partners with access to an extensive network of contacts within the gold industry, including precious metal companies, industrial manufacturers, investors, academics and researchers, the World Gold Council helps drive gold-focused research and development forward towards commercial application.

Note to editors:

World Gold Council

The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. Working within the investment, jewellery and technology sectors, as well as engaging in government affairs, our purpose is to provide industry leadership, whilst stimulating and sustaining demand for gold.

We develop gold-backed solutions, services and markets, based on true market insight. As a result, we create structural shifts in demand for gold across key market sectors.

We provide insights into the international gold markets, helping people to better understand the wealth preservation qualities of gold and its role in meeting the social and environmental needs of society.

Based in the UK, with operations in India, the Far East, Europe and the US, the World Gold Council is an association whose members include the world's leading and most forward thinking gold mining companies.