What this domain covers
Material science quietly changes what other technologies can become. New composites, smart materials, nanoscale engineering and self-healing or adaptive substances can unlock advances in energy, manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace and construction.
What belongs here
- Advanced composites
- Nanotechnology
- Smart and responsive materials
- Self-healing materials
- Lightweight and high-strength materials
- New battery and energy materials
- Bioengineered materials
Why it matters
Many breakthroughs depend on physical limits. When materials improve, those limits move. Products can become smaller, lighter, more durable, more efficient or capable of functions that were previously impractical.
We are moving beyond static objects to a world of living materials that heal, think, and reshape our reality.
— Jim Carroll
In Jim’s words
From “The BIG Future: New Materials Science” (February 2023)
I will admit that I never really considered the work that he did to be tremendously exciting or important; as a young child, it wasn’t like a lawyer, a doctor, or a banker. Those were exciting professions! And yet today, I look at the world of chemical science to be one of the most exciting - and far-reaching - aspects of our future. That’s because we are going from 25 million known chemical substances today to over 1 billion by the year 2100. As science accelerates, we are discovering fascinating new materials that promise to revolutionize what we build, how we build it, and what it is we can build. This new era promises an era of big, bold thinking as to what is possible, changing every industry from automotive to aerospace, consumer products to packaging, and more. It’s a revolution in the making! The inclusion of living materials in human-built environments could offer significant benefits; however, today scientists and engineers are unable to easily control the size and shape of living materials in ways that would make them useful for construction. DARPA is launching the Engineered Living Materials (ELM) program with a goal of creating a new class of materials that combines the structural properties of traditional building materials with attributes of living systems. Living materials represent a new opportunity to leverage engineered biology to solve existing problems associated with the construction and maintenance of built environments, and to create new capabilities to craft smart infrastructure that dynamically responds to its surroundings.
From “Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #16 Material Science Breakthroughs: “We are moving beyond static objects to a world of living materials that heal, think, and reshape our reality.”” (July 2025)
We are experiencing unprecedented innovation in physical materials, everything from self-healing surfaces to programmable matter. These new substances enable product capabilities that were previously impossible.” Much of this is new and full of conjecture. But the financial landscape supporting these advanced materials - both the first realistic category and the new research category - comprises a mix of corporate R&D spending, venture capital, and substantial government grants, with the balance shifting depending on the technology’s maturity and risk profile.
Explore Jim’s writing in this domain:
The BIG Future: New Materials Science
Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #16 Material Science Breakthroughs: “We are moving beyond static objects to a world of living materials that heal, think, and reshape our reality.”