This is the first volume of a two-volume set book, Frontiers of Near-infrared Spectroscopy, which presents the recent advancements in near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, encompassing both foundational studies and practical applications. It is followed by the second volume, Frontiers of Near-infrared Spectroscopy II: Applications. This volume specifically addresses fundamental spectroscopy studies, instrumentation—including both single-spot and imaging—and the integration of chemometrics with machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). A notable aspect of this volume is its significant focus on the advances in understanding the principles of NIR spectroscopy, including overtone, combination modes, and anharmonicity. Additionally, it is characterized by extensive developments in spectral analysis through quantum chemical calculations, alongside the utilization of chemometrics, machine learning (ML), and AI. This book will be suited not only for graduate students and young researchers but also general researchers, providing a comprehensive overview of current research trends and future directions in NIR spectroscopy.

Prof. Yukihiro Ozaki received his Ph.D. from Osaka University in 1978. His research interests include basic research and applications of NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and far-ultraviolet spectroscopy. He is currently professor emeritus of Kwansei Gakuin University. He is the author of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Theory, Spectral Analysis, Instrumentation, and Applications, Springer (2020), Surface-enhanced and Tip-enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopy, Springer (2024), and more. He published more than 1100 articles in internationally renowned journals such as Angewandte Chemie, Nano Lett. Chem. Rev. He won many awards such as Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award in 2019, Charles Mann Award in 2020, Karl Norris Award in 2021,  Medal of Ioannes Marcus Marci in 2022 and  Ellis R .

Prof. Federico Marini is Full Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry of Sapienza University of Rome. His research focuses on chemometrics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence applied to analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, metabolomics, food quality and authenticity, forensic science, and process monitoring. He has contributed extensively to the development of multivariate statistical methods for the analysis and integration of complex chemical data, with particular emphasis on classification, non-linear modeling, variable selection and multiblock data analysis. He was awarded the Young researcher prize of the analytical division of the Italian chemical society in 2006 and Elsevier Chemometrics and Intelligent laboratory systems award for his achievements in chemometrics in 2012. He is author of more than 300 scientific publications, serves as Editor-in-Chief of Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems (Elsevier), and coordinates the Chemometrics Task Group of the Division of Analytical Chemistry of EuChemS (DAC-EuChemS). 

Prof. Miroslaw Czarnecki received his Ph.D from University of Wrocław in 1991. His research interests include studies of hydrogen bonding, intermolecular interactions, clustering and microheterogenity in liquid phase, water confinement using vibrational spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. He is currently professor at University of Wrocław. He published articles, contributed to books such as Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Theory, Spectral Analysis, Instrumentation, and Applications, Springer (2020). He published more than 100 articles in internationally renowned journals such as Chem. Rev., Chem. Sci. or J. Phys. Chem. He has 25 years of teaching experience at molecular spectroscopy, data analysis and chemometrics.

Prof. José Manuel Amigo obtained his PhD (Cum Laude) in Chemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. He was employed as an Associate Professor (2010 – 2019) at the Department of Food Science of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2017, he was a guest Professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. His current position is Research Professor at IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Sciences in Bilbao and a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Basque Country, Spain. His current research interests include hyperspectral and digital image analysis and the application of Chemometrics. He has authored over 190 publications and has given over 80 conferences and courses at international meetings. He is an editorial board member of 4 scientific journals within chemometrics. Moreover, he received the 2014 Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems Award for his achievements in the field of Chemometrics and the 2019 Tomas Hirschfeld Award for his achievements in the field of Near Infrared.

Dr. Akifumi Ikehata received his Ph.D from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in 2001. His research interests include the application and fundamentals of spectroscopy to food science. He is currently a group leader at National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) and a professor at the University of Tsukuba. He is the president of Japan Council for Near Infrared Spectroscopy (JCNIRS) and has published many research articles and related book chapters.