From the viewpoint of the technology transfer to the industry, one fundamental issue is to focus several of the research lines of IMDEA-Materials along the mid-and long-term priorities of industrial enterprises which have shown a serious commitment to research and development activities in the past and which are willing to collaborate with the Institute in their development. This will guarantee the industrial exploitation of the new developments and help to provide financial support for the Institute through contracts with industry and participation in national and international research programs.

Thus, two main research areas proposed for IMDEA-materials. The first one, more applied and encompassing the mid-term research interests of the companies associated to the Institute, will deal with the processing techniques, design and application of advanced structural materials within the aerospace, automotive and energy generation sectors. These interests are focused around two main types of materials, namely advanced metallic alloys and structural composites. Key materials and technologies of current interest for the companies are identified in the scientific program, but the expertise and the equipments can be easily transferred to carry out research in other materials of the same class. The second main area will cover topics in the forefront of the scientific and technological research which are linked to the previous one and that will help to support the previous activities and to provide a technological leadership in the long-term. The activities included in this second area will include the development of hybrid structural materials or multimaterials with different integration length scales, smart materials (whose structural function is supported by sensors and actuators), tailored materials (including biomimetics, microstructural optimization, self-assembly) as well as the application of sophisticated simulation techniques (modeling of materials processing, properties and in-service reliability), eliminating the costly trial and error strategy which has been standard so far for the development of new materials.

 The Institute will begin its activities with 7 research lines. Four of them correspond to the “vertical lines” (development of new materials and components of industrial interest) and three of them correspond to the “horizontal lines” (Basic research activities in the forefront of the scientific and technological research).