< Previous4 /9 2 /10 9 TRL /9 M ETAL ORGANIC FRAMEWORKS, which are in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing a new range of highly porous materials that have huge surface areas and a wide variety of applications, that range from helping us dramatically reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions, to targeted drug delivery. Recently scientists found a new way to manufacture MOF’s in low gravity environments which allowed them to create 1 gram of material that had an internal surface area larger than an entire football pitch, a breakthrough that opens the door to a variety of new applications. And elsewhere, researchers used the output of failed past experiments and Artificial Intelligence to discover new MOF intuitions that could lead to the creation of materials with even larger surface area to weight ratios. DEFINITION Metal Organic Frameworks are highly porous, crystalline substances made from compounds consisting of metal ions or clusters that are capable of forming 1D, 2D or 3D structures. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Metal Organic Framework materials to help us create new carbon free Supercapacitors, which could revolutionise the global energy industry, and to create highly porous materials that can soak up enormous quantities of pollutants from the atmosphere and water. In the future the primary use case of the technology will likely continue to be to absorb, capture, and where appropriate, release, large volumes of chemicals, compounds and gases, such as capturing and releasing Oxygen within spaceship cabins. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow, primarily led by organisations in the Aerospace sector, and university grants. In time we will see the development of MOF’s with even larger surface area to weight ratios, which will open up a variety of new applications. While Metal Organic Frameworks are in the Prototype Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in Artificial Intelligence, Creative Machines, and Nano- Manufacturing, but at this point in time it is not clear what they will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 5 5 2 7 8 5 4 8 1979 1996 2002 2014 2030 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23 METAL ORGANIC FRAMEWORKS EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 360311institute.com MRL5 /9 6 /10 8 TRL /9 M ETAMATERIALS, which are in the Prototype Stage and early Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with finding new ways to create materials that have properties that aren’t found in nature, and as you’d expect some of the resulting materials are fabulously weird. Recently breakthroughs in the development of nanoscale structures have helped researchers create an array of new and interesting metamaterials including the first prototype invisibility cloaks, and materials that are as soft and elastic as rubber, until they’re exposed to a current, after which they’re as hard and as inflexible as steel. As researchers ability to manufacture new materials with a range of internal structures and symmetries improves, which will let them create metamaterials with different properties, it is inevitable we will see more metamaterials making it into our everyday world. DEFINITION Meta Materials are synthetic composites with structures and properties not found in natural materials EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Metamaterials to create the first generation of invisibility cloaks, and turn ordinary surfaces into speakers and energy charging platforms, to create new classes of ultra-sensitive communications antennae for cars and smartphones, and materials that automatically transform from hard to soft on impact - something that could be especially useful in future cars. In the future the primary use cases for the technology will include using it to develop new smart clothing, soft robots, and many more applications. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow at an accelerating rate, primarily led by organisations in the Aerospace, Defence, and Manufacturing sector, with support from government funding, and university grants. In time we will see the complexity and cost of creating and manufacturing these materials fall dramatically, which will open the door to a host of new and sometimes weird applications. While Metamaterials are in the Prototype Stage and early Productisation Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Creative Machines, Nano-Manufacturing, and Nanophotonic Materials, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, with a view to implementing it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 7 7 2 7 8 7 4 8 1980 1998 2002 2004 2028 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT METAMATERIALS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘17, ‘18, ‘19 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 361311institute.com MRL6 /9 2 /10 8 TRL /9 M ETA-OPTICS, which are in the early Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing new Metamaterials that can be used in imaging, or “optical,” applications. Recent breakthroughs include the development of revolutionary flat Metalenses that can capture and manipulate the entire visible electromagnetic spectrum at the nanoscale, including “white light,” to capture and create images, as well as breakthroughs in using the principles underlying the technology to create revolutionary invisibility cloaking systems. DEFINITION Meta-Optics are materials that can capture and harness the weird properties of Metamaterials to bend and manipulate light for different purposes. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using the first Metalense prototypes to create nanoscale camera systems that could one day be used in smartphones, and create materials capable of bending and manipulating light in ways never seen before. In the future the primary applications of the technology will include creating Virtual Reality headsets with atomic thin, tunable, display systems that can be perfectly focused, and creating the world’s first true invisibility cloaks, and much more besides. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow at an accelerating rate, primarily led by organisations in the Aerospace, Defence, and Consumer Electronics sectors, with support from and university grants. In time we will see the cost of developing these systems fall substantially, and be refined to the point where they can be used in everyday commercial applications. While Meta-Optics are in the Prototype Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in 3D Printing, Metamaterials, Nano-Manufacturing, and Nanophotonic Materials, but at this point in time it is not clear what they will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 1 2 2 5 7 2 3 7 1999 2008 2015 2023 2040 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘19, ‘20, ‘21 META-OPTICS Harvard University EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 362311institute.com MRL4 /9 3 /10 9 TRL /9 N ANO-MATERIALS, which are in the Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing nanoscale materials, and materials with nanoscale properties, that have a wide range of applications. Recently there has been an explosion in the number of Nano-Materials being used in products, but despite this rise in adoption significant questions about their impact on human health remain, and that, arguably, remains one of the largest hurdles the industry has to overcome before it really takes off. DEFINITION Nano-Materials are insoluble or Bio-Persistent manufactured materials that have one or more external dimensions at the nanoscale or an internal nanoscale structure EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Nano-Materials to improve the catalytic efficiency of Fuel Cells in electric vehicles and reduce the amount of rare Earth elements they use by 90 percent, and create new nanoscale detectors that can sense minute concentrations of chemicals and gases on alien planets, as well as in more conventional products including flash drives, hair dryers, nail polish, sunscreens and toothpaste. In the future the primary use cases for the technology will be almost limitless. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow at an accelerating rate, primarily led by organisations in the Aerospace, Defence, Energy, and Manufacturing sector, with support from government funding, and university grants. In time we will see our ability to create nanoscale materials, and materials with nanoscale properties, improve to the point where they are cost effective to mass produce, but some of them will likely face regulatory hurdles before they can be sold or used, especially in the consumer and healthcare sectors. While Nano-Materials are in the Productisation Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Creative Machines, Molecular Assemblers, Nanoceramics, Nanoparticles, Nanomanufacturing, and Nanophotonic Materials, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, with a view to implementing it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 8 7 4 8 8 8 6 9 1966 1981 1990 1997 2034 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘17, ‘18, ‘19 NANO-MATERIALS EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 363311institute.com MRL5 /9 1 /10 7 TRL /9 P LASMONIC PAINTS, which is in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with trying to develop new nanostructured materials - and paints - that have unique and ever lasting optical properties, some of which draw their inspiration from nature. Recent breakthroughs in the space have been coming thick and fast, especially as it gets easier to fabricate nanostructured materials using technologies such as 3D Printing and other techniques, with some of the most notable breakthroughs including the development of new paints that mimic the nanostructures of butterfly wings and which never fade under any conditions, are the same colour from any angle, and which are super lightweight - all of which make this technology interesting and in some cases valuable in unexpected ways. DEFINITION Plasmonic Paints are coatings containing nanostructures that manipulate light at the plasmonic scale offering unique optical properties. EXAMPLE USE CASES The primary use case of this technology at the moment is in applications where colours need to be permanent and or light weight, with one example being in the aviation industry where aircraft manufacturers using this technology have been able to save hundreds of kilograms of weight - or the weight of a grand piano - which if spread across the global aviation fleet could help cut 2% or more of global emissions. Other use cases also include anti-counterfeiting, enhanced solar cells, as well as architecture and automotive applications, and even perhaps eventually fashion applications. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest and investment in Plasmonic Paints increase, albeit from a very low base, primarily led by university grants. While this is arguably the first time in a long time that paint has been reinvented this is a technology that is coming of age because other complimentary technologies have finally caught up with the vision. However, while the results we’re seeing to date are impressive over the long term there is little to suggest this will go mainstream and not remain a niche technology. While Plasmonic Paints are still in the Prototype Stage they could be enhanced by advances in 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Nano-Manufacturing and Nanotechnology, and other technologies, however over the long term it’s unclear what it could be superseded by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 4 5 3 8 8 3 2 8 2001 2005 2022 2031 2039 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT PLASMONIC PAINTS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 364311institute.com MRL9 /9 3 /10 9 TRL /9 P OLYMERS, which are in the Mass Adoption Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing new polymers that have a wide range of characteristics. Recently there have been a number of breakthroughs in creating more environmentally friendly polymers, as well as new energy orientated polymers and shape shifting polymers, the latter of which opens up a variety of new biomedical opportunities to create new biosensors, and shape shifting medical implants. DEFINITION Polymers are materials which have a molecular structure built up chiefly, or completely, from a large number of similar units bonded together. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we use Polymers in almost every product you touch and use, from the plastic bottles in your hand, to the smartphones and gadgets in your pockets, and millions of other applications and products in between. In the future the primary use cases of polymers will remain, however, polymers will also form the foundation of a new type of molecular Exascale computing platform, help rip anti-biotic resistant bacteria apart like a chainsaw, and be used to help charge electric vehicles in just seconds. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow at an accelerating rate, primarily led by organisations in the Aerospace, Consumer Electronics, Defence, Manufacturing, and Retail sectors, with support from university grants. In time we will see the number of applications for the technology continue to increase almost exponentially as researchers create and discover new polymers with new capabilities. While Polymers are the Mass Adoption Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, and Creative Machines, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, with a view to implementing it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 9 9 6 8 9 9 7 9 1869 1907 1921 1929 1974 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT POLYMERS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘18, ‘19 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 365311institute.com MRL2 /9 4 /10 4 TRL /9 P OLYMORPHIC LIQUID Metals, which are in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing new types of materials and metals that can change their shapes and properties on demand in response to specific stimulii. Recent breakthroughs in the field include the development of new Polymorphic Liquid Metals that are so responsive and can change their shapes so fast you could almost think of them as being alive. DEFINITION Polymorphic Liquid Metals are materials that can change their shape on demand in response to external stimulii. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using small scale prototypes to prove the theory behind the technology and refine it. In the future the primary use case of this technology will be almost unlimited and could lead to the development of everything from shape shifting polymorphic robots all the way through to new classes of liquid based computing platforms. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow, albeit from a very low base, primarily led by organisations in the Manufacturing and Technology sectors, with support from univesity grants. In time we will see the technology mature to the point where it can be used to create the first viable polymorphic products but at the moment there are a number of problems to overcome including the development of the control systems needed to control the technology’s behaviours, as well as more practical problems such as how make it rigid, as and when needed. As a reasult it will be a long time until we see it being commercialised. While Polymorphic Liquid Metals are in the Prototype Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in Chemical Computing, Digital Metamaterials, Liquid Computing, Metamaterials, Programmable Materials, Sensors, and Smart Dust, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, and establish a point of view, and re-visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 3 4 3 5 9 2 1 8 1981 1997 2016 2035 2048 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT POLYMORPHIC LIQUID METALS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 366311institute.com MRL2 /9 8 /10 3 TRL /9 P ROGRAMMABLE MATTER, which is in the Concept stage and early Prototype stage, is the field of research concerned with trying to develop materials capable of programmatically changing their shape and other properties, including conductivity, density, and optical characteristics, among others, in response to stimuli. While the rate of progress in the field is slow but steady it is clear that we are still a very long way away from being able to create matter that can spontaneously transform itself from one object, or form, into another on command. That said though recently there have been significant breakthroughs in a number of complimentary technology areas, including 4D Printing, Micromotes, that are dust sized computer platforms packed full of sensors, Swarm Artificial Intelligence and Swarm Robotics, and as all of these individual components mature one day they will let us create Programmable Materials, or “Grey Goo” as it’s sometimes known, that’s capable of on demand self-assembly and self-organisation. DEFINITION Programmable Matter can change its physical properties and characteristics based on user or autonomous stimuli. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today the early Programmable Matter prototypes, which are predominantly 4D printed, are simply experiments that researchers are toying with to test various approaches and theories. In the future the primary use case of this technology is limitless. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow, albeit from a very low base, primarily funded by university grants. In time we will see researchers start zeroing in on specific approaches that work, and eventually through a process of elimination and experimentation we’ll start seeing the first basic products emerge, and while most of today’s research is focused on mechanical and synthetic systems, in time we will see the rise of biological inspired programmable matter. While Programmable Matter is in the Concept stage and early Prototype stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in 3D Printing, 4D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Creative Machines, Micromotes, Nano-Manufacturing, Smart Dust, and Swarm Robotics, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 2 2 1 2 8 4 2 8 1934 2008 2017 2034 2052 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 PROGRAMMABLE MATTER EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 367311institute.com MRL2 /9 3 /10 4 TRL /9 Q UANTUM MATERIALS, which are in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with trying to discover new quantum materials, where the spin and charge can be controlled, that could open the door to new commercial applications and products, including the development of completely new types of devices and materials, whether those be in the communications, computing, or energy sectors, or even in the consumer goods sector. Recently there have been a number of interesting developments in this field including the development of new alternative Rare Earth materials which can act as replacements to traditional Rare Earth materials, new Wave Computing devices, and others. DEFINITION Quantum Materials encompasses all materials whose essential properties cannot be described in terms of semi-classical particles and low level quantum mechanics. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today quantum materials are used in everything from computer hard drives and MRI’s to superconductors, but future use cases could include the development of new catalysts and photovoltaic materials that don’t degrade or loose performance over time, sensors that are immune to the noise of the environment around them, rare earth replacements, room temperature quantum electronics and superconductors, and many other examples. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, from a moderate base, primarily led by organisations in the defense, energy, and technology sectors, with support from government funding and university grants. In time we will see more Quantum Materials being commercialised but most people won’t even know they exist. While Quantum Materials are in the Prototype Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in Artificial Intelligence, Materials, Nano-Manufacturing, Quantum Computing, Quantum Electronics, and others, but at this point in time it is not clear what they will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, and forecast out the implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 2 2 2 6 8 2 2 7 1987 2009 2017 2036 2054 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT QUANTUM MATERIALS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 368311institute.com EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. MRL5 /9 4 /10 8 TRL /9 R EACTIVE MATTER, which is in the early Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing new materials that vigorously condense, decompose, polymerise, or become self-reactive, when exposed to stimuli including pressure, shock, and temperature. While research in the field is slow being able to create multi-property materials that alter their characteristics, chemical composition, and state on demand could have a range of interesting applications, including the ability to create Transient Electronic systems, such as military drones, that complete their missions, and then vaporise leaving no trace of their existence. DEFINITION Reactive Materials can change their physical and, or chemical, properties when exposed to external environmental stimuli. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today there the Reactive Material prototypes are being used to test and refine the theory that we can create materials that are capable of changing their characteristics, chemical composition, and state, on demand. In the future the primary use of this technology could be to use it to create Transient Electronic systems, that can be used in the Defence and Healthcare sectors, as well as a wide variety of other products, but at the moment many of those use cases remain fuzzy. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow, albeit from a very low base, primarily led by organisations in the Defence and Healthcare sectors, with support from government funding, and university grants. In time we will see the technology develop and mature but it is likely to be a very slow and winding path before we realise their potential. While Reactive Materials are in the Prototype Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Creative Machines, and Nano- Manufacturing, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 8 7 4 6 8 4 2 8 1944 1980 1988 1992 2032 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT REACTIVE MATERIALS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘17, ‘18, ‘19 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 369311institute.com MRLNext >