Inside E-MRS World - Vol. 4 / No. 2 - September 2025

September 2025

      

Why Materials Research Societies
and Materials Research?

P S Anil Kumar, Indian Institute of Science
President, International Union of Materials
Research Societies (IUMRS)

     
     

The International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) was established in 1991 to promote interdisciplinary materials research and education. One of the main objectives of IUMRS is to facilitate international cooperation among materials research organizations. The information exchange between national and regional societies interested in interdisciplinary materials research is the need of the hour. With this aim, the Materials Research Societies of several countries and the European Materials Research Society, spanning several continents, join hands to promote communication of international materials research activities through various conferences, symposia, and newsletters. The scientists from the MRSs that form adhering bodies of IUMRS collectively contribute to more than 75% of the scientific output in materials research. There is an urgent need to strengthen the IUMRS further to include representation from all countries. It will be an ideal platform for students and materials researchers to gain knowledge and exchange ideas.

With the limited resources in the world, the quality of life of more than eight billion people can only be ensured through technological advances, and materials research plays a pivotal role. In addition, the growing concerns about environmental impact demand the development of eco-friendly alternatives to traditional materials. Materials recycling to minimise environmental footprint and to mitigate the resource crunch is becoming one of the top priorities. The development of advanced energy solutions like solar panels and high-capacity batteries is making renewable energy more practical and reliable. This brings tangible benefits to society. We have seen the impact of manipulating materials at the atomic and molecular levels to create nanomaterials with enhanced properties, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, which are used in fields from electronics to environmental remediation. We have also seen the development of materials designed to change their behaviour in response to external stimuli, such as temperature, pressure, electric field, magnetic field, or light. Further advances in this area will boost applications that range from sensors and actuators to drug delivery systems and wearable devices. The automotive and aerospace industries are reaping the benefits of composite materials due to their superior performance (...)

 

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Vol. 4 / No. 2 - September 2025    Vol. 4 / No. 1 - June 2025        
             
             
Vol. 3 / No. 4 - March 2025    Vol. 3 / No. 3 - December 2024   Vol. 3 / No. 2 - September 2024     Vol. 3 / No. 1 - June 2024
             
                    
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