Superconductivity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Edimar A. S. Duran1, Alfonso Pulgar1, Rodolfo Izquierdo1, Diana M. Koblischka2, Anjela Koblischka-Veneva2,3, Michael R. Koblischka2,3, Maycon Motta4, Tiago T. Saraiva5, Andrey S. Vasenko5, Rafael Zadorosny1
1Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Engenharia, Caixa Postal
31, 15385-000, Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil
2 SupraSaar, Auf der Ochsenweide 31, 66133 Saarbrücken, Germany
3 Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany
4Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos,
SP, 13565-905, Brazil
5 HSE University, 101000 Moscow, Russia
Abstract:
Ceramic superconductors, known for their zero resistivity and strong diamagnetism above liquid nitrogen temperatures, are essential to advancing clean energy, medical imaging, sustainable transportation, and quantum technologies. This presentation explores their alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting findings from a recent bibliometric study covering global research from 1986 to 2023. Our analysis shows a significant increase in publications related to superconductivity since the launch of the SDGs, particularly within SDG 07 (Clean Energy), SDG 03 (Health), and SDG 09 (Innovation and Infrastructure). While nations like China, the USA, and Japan lead in output, there is an urgent need for greater participation from developing countries and better integration of superconductivity research within broader sustainability agendas. Thematic trends reveal strong interest in materials like YBCO, MgB₂, and nickelates, with growing applications in MRI systems, electric ship engines, and MagLev transport. At the nanoscale, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are enabling real-time monitoring in biology and the environment, supported by low-cost fabrication methods such as electrospinning and solution blow spinning. Looking ahead, superconductivity is set to play a key role in the green hydrogen economy, through technologies like superconducting transmission lines, hydrogen-cooled data centers, and H₂-powered transport systems—positioning superconductors as strategic materials for a sustainable future.
Acknowledgements:
FAPESP grants 2016/12390-6 and 2022/03124-1; CNPq. grants 310428/2021-1 and 316602/2021-3; and CAPES, financial code 001.
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