Advances in science and technology, especially in materials science, biotechnology and nanotechnology will profoundly affect future manufacturing activities.
In recent years, advances in materials science have already led to the development of new products and improved services: new ceramics, polymers, metal alloys, bio-materials and hybrids have been increasingly used in sectors such as medicine, aeronautics, and ICTs. In the future, knowledge-content materials, providing new functionality and improved performance, raise the prospects for product and process innovation in manufacturing.
The availability of advanced materials will enable the production of smaller, smarter, multifunctional, and more easily customisable components and products. New materials may also play an important role for stimulating and enabling technology development in other high-tech industries. They may also provide the basis for sustained innovation in more traditional sectors like construction (e.g. lighter and easy to assemble materials).