The whole spectrum of materials science will have a major impact on the future of our country and of the rest of the world.

• Biomaterials - as we are all living longer, bits of our bodies wear out. Materials science will provide better artificial bones, better artificial hips and knees, and the whole area of tissue engineering will lead to better artificial skin. Countries and individuals will be prepared to invest heavily in perfection.
• Materials for Energy - the challenge of climate change and the security of energy supply will be the driving factors in this area. New materials for power stations, solar cells and wave energy will lead to much greater efficiency.
• Materials for Communications - driving forces will be the requirement for faster data transmission, cheap flat screen TVs, greater bandwidths, greater memory storage etc. New optical materials, new magnetic materials and new high frequency materials will provide for dramatic improvements and, yet again, governments and individuals will invest heavily.
• Materials for Lighting - 20% of all electricity consumption in the UK is for lighting. Light emitting diodes last 100 times longer than bulbs and are vastly more efficient. If only 50% of lighting in the USA was replaced by LEDs, 25 power stations could be shut down!