Materials surround us. We interact with them constantly: in the clothes we wear, the phones we use, and the vaccines that immunise us. In these three everyday examples, remarkable advances have been made in recent years thanks to fundamental research into materials, whether natural or synthetic. This field of research aims to understand and improve the behaviour of existing materials and to discover new ones with enhanced or even unprecedented properties.
The issue is divided into four main research lines: health, electronics, energy, and environment; four important fields where cutting-edge materials research has a huge impact. ICMAB researchers appear in 8 articles, and ICMAB personnel have worked closely with the CSIC communication department during the writing of this magazine. Indeed, five articles have been written by ICMAB authors, including one by Teresa Puig, Joffre Gutierrez, and Xavier Obradors, and another by Agustín Mihi. The communication department has collaborated on three more articles. Additionally, the main page portrays a FOTICMAB-winner picture by Amanda Muñoz and Thomas Meslier.
This special issue highlights how materials research is helping to address some of today’s biggest challenges. From health and energy to electronics and sustainability, ICMAB researchers play a key role in these advances, showing the centre’s scientific strength and the collaboration efforts within CSIC’s scientific community. As the four CSIC Materials Science Centres celebrate their 40th anniversary, CSIC Investiga reminds us that materials science remains a vital force in shaping the future.
Figure: Cover of the CSIC Investiga magazine about Materials.
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