【Domestic Papers】Thoughts and Prospects on New Material Technology Innovation towards 2035

Authors: Gan Yong, Ren Jiarong, Xie Man

Source: Thoughts and Prospects on New Material Technology Innovation towards 2035 [J]. Science and Technology Foresinght, 2025, 4(1): 6-150.

Gan Yong

Professor, Chinese Academy of Engineering

Director of the National Expert Advisory Committee for the Development of Advanced Materials Industry

 

 

Article Abstract

      Based on the analysis of the development trends of new materials technology and the priority areasof foreign new materials science and technology policies. It is proposed to build an "artificial intelligence + materials" innovation system with distinctive Chinese approach, systematically sort out the key tasks of new materials research and application towards 2035, and put forward relevant suggestions, with the aim of providing references for the scientific and technological innovation and development of new materials.

 

Quick Review of Article

      New materials are the material foundation for China to build a manufacturing power and achieve high-quality development. New materials technology is the "base technology" that supports modern science and technology and industries, and also the source technology that major countries must compete for in their strategic games. China has made great progress in the development of new materials. Overall, the new materials industry has moved from a stage of scale expansion focused on addressing the issue of availability to a stage of high-quality development focused on meeting major national strategic needs and enhancing international competitiveness; The model of material science and technology innovation has shifted from "mainly tracking and imitating" to "both tracking and imitating and independent innovation".

      With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, which continuously empowers innovation in materials technology and constantly gives rise to new models, new forms of business and new tracks, countries around the world attach great importance to the development of new materials and are accelerating the competition for the high ground of future materials development. China should pool resources and accelerate the establishment of an "Artifical Intelligence (AI) + materials" innovation system with distinctive Chinese approach. It should focus on the major demands for new materials in key areas such as new-generation information technology, new energy, high-end equipment manufacturing, and life health, and continue to make breakthroughs and precise efforts. To ensure the ability to lead development in future international competition.

 

1 Trends in New Materials Technology

      With the deepening of the new round of technological and industrial revolution, the emergence of disruptive technologies and the acceleration of interdisciplinary integration, the development of advanced materials technology presents the following new trends.

1.1 AI Empowerment will Increase the Speed of Advanced Material Research and Development Exponentially

      Material intelligence technologies represented by efficient computational design, autonomous experimentation, big data, and intelligent manufacturing will significantly enhance the efficiency and level of material design and manufacturing, and materials science research will enter the fourth paradigm of " data-intensive research + artificial intelligence". At the end of November 2023, DeepMind, a subsidiary of Google, published a paper in Nature, announcing that it had trained the graphical network machine learning model GNoME using large-scale computational datasets and discovered over 380,000 thermodynamically stable crystal materials, which is equivalent to "adding 800 years of intellectual accumulation for humanity". Based on GNoME's predicted crystal structure, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has established its own laboratory A-Lab, which produces more than two new compounds on average every day and continues to iterate and optimize. Chinese research teams have used machine learning algorithms to build geometric models, accurately predict physical properties, and reverse design materials, breaking through the empirical upper limit of the strength-density relationship of porous materials and obtaining super-strong titanium alloy porous materials with a density of 1.68 g/cm³ and an ultimate compressive strength of 598 MPa.

1.2 Develop Modern Material Manufacturing and Synthesis Techniques at the Microscale and Across Scale Coupling Mechanisms

      Material research and manufacturing are moving towards the extremely microscopic (nanometer and atomic scale). The preparation and synthesis of materials using atoms, molecules, and electrons as starting substances and the control of their composition and structure at the microscopic scale have become important directions for material manufacturing technology. The continuous improvement in observation accuracy and the expansion of the field of view have made across-scale coupling possible. Nanomaterials and device construction technology, nanoscale coherent interface strengthening technology, etc. have been recognized as important ways to improve the overall performance of materials. Chips will move from nanoscale processes to atomic-scale processes, that is, from the "nanoscale age" to the "atomic age", and two-dimensional materials with single-atom thickness will provide important support for the development of future chips in the "atomic age".

1.3 Extreme Service Environments Drive New Materials Towards Performance Limits

      Applications in extreme environments such as lunar exploration and deep space exploration, deep-sea and bipolar development, and nuclear reactors require materials to expand from single-function to multi-function, not only having extraordinary performance but also maintaining stable performance during service. For instance, in the fields of lunar exploration and deep space exploration, aerospace equipment such as supersonic aircraft require materials to meet performance requirements such as being lighter, having higher strength and toughness, being resistant to radiation, being able to withstand high and low temperatures, and being reusable. In the field of deep-sea exploration, materials for engineering equipment used at depths of 10,000 meters must meet multiple performance requirements such as high compressive strength, corrosion resistance, and high sealing performance. In the space nuclear reactor system, the relevant materials are required to have a service temperature higher than 2,000 ℃, be resistant to corrosion by alkaline metals and molten salts, and be capable of bearing complex loads.

1.4 The Green Level of Advanced Material Production and Application is Constantly Improving

      With the advancement of the "Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality" (referred to as "Dual Carbon") goals, the carrying capacity of resources, energy and the environment for material production, application and failure, as well as the green and efficient acquisition, utilization, recycling and reuse, and substitution of strategic elements, have received high attention. Technologies such as high-efficiency green manufacturing of materials, material protection and life extension, material substitution, material recycling and full life cycle assessment have become hotspots of development. According to statistics, the combined contribution of secondary resource recycling to China's carbon reduction during the 14th Five-Year Plan period has reached 30 percent, and it is expected to reach 35 percent by 2030.

1.5 The Technology Routes of Advanced Materials are Diversified

      With the continuous progress in fields such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, brain science, materials genomics and physics of condensed matter, cutting-edge new materials technologies are constantly emerging. However, before achieving key breakthroughs, it is difficult to determine which technical route is the best. Quantum computing, for example, is developing in parallel with superconductivity, photonic quanta, ion traps, semiconductors, and topologies. None of these routes can fully meet the requirements for practical application. Quantum chip materials are abundant, possibly superconductors, semiconductors, insulators, or metals. In the field of new types of memory, new storage materials such as ferro dielectrics and oxide semiconductors have the potential to significantly increase storage capacity and reliability, and all have the potential to achieve three-dimensional memory. The diversification of frontier material technology routes offers unlimited potential for future development.

 

2 Foreign Advanced Materials Science and Technology Policy Priorities Support Directions

      Countries around the world attach great importance to the development of advanced materials science and technology and have formulated various strategic plans, science and technology programs and other policies to support it. A review reveals that the typical key technological directions supported by the state mainly focus on two main lines: one is to establish a big data, artificial intelligence-driven material innovation system to make it a fundamental source of sustainable competitiveness for future materials technology; The second is to develop advanced material research and application technologies that support strategic fields such as information, manufacturing, energy, and healthcare, and to promote economic and social development through material innovation.

2.1 United States

      The United States continues to update its main development strategy with the aim of maintaining its global leadership in advanced materials and supporting the development of information technology, life sciences, environmental sciences, nanotechnology, etc., to meet the demand for various advanced materials in other industries. In 2021, the U.S. updated and released the Materials Genome Initiative Strategic Plan, setting out three main goals: integrating the materials innovation infrastructure, making full use of the power of materials data, educating and training, and effectively organizing the talent pool for materials research and development. It also announced 63 key directions in nine key materials research areas.

      The National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan is one of the few national-level research and development programs that have been continuously funded by the U.S. government for five terms. As of 2023, the U.S. government has invested more than $40 billion in the program. The program has facilitated extensive nanotechnology research and development, enabled the regulation of matter at the atomic scale, propelled the transformation of nanoscience from an emerging field of study to a technology that drives practical applications, produced six Nobel Prizes, and driven the rapid development of several emerging industries in the United States, including biomedicine, quantum information, and advanced chips. In 2022, the United States released the National Advanced Manufacturing Strategy. The document continues to focus on advanced materials and processing technologies as well as future trends in smart manufacturing, with greater emphasis on semiconductors in electronic manufacturing, and highlights clean energy and decarbonization technologies in manufacturing processes, as well as biomanufacturing and biomass processing, incorporating sustainable materials management principles and additive manufacturing into product design and development.

      The National Science Foundation (NSF) releases its annual plan for materials science every year. In 2024, support for the materials field will mainly focus on three areas: first, new semiconductor materials, including Boron Arsenide, indium-based sol-gel precursors, two-dimensional ferroelectric materials, advanced photoresist materials, ferroelectric oxides, ultrafast energy-saving antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions, etc. Second, quantum materials, including two-dimensional materials, heterostructures and metasurfaces, quantum device integration from single-molecule to two-dimensional materials, and quantum material topological phonon dynamics and control, etc. Third, clean and low-carbon materials, accelerating the transformation of material development, manufacturing and use towards a circular economy. In the past two years, tech giants such as Google and Microsoft have increased their investment in developing large models in the field of materials science.

      In October 2024, the US Department of Commerce announced an open competition, offering $100 million to fund autonomous experimental projects of AI-driven sustainable semiconductor materials to accelerate the discovery, design, synthesis and deployment of new materials and new processes, as well as to train researchers needed to meet the industry's technological, economic and sustainable development goals. To ensure the long-term prosperity of domestic semiconductor manufacturing in the United States.

2.2 Japan

      Japan attaches great importance to innovation in materials science and technology, especially with systematic planning in advanced and frontier materials. Japan focuses on practicality in material research and development, and emphasizes the coordinated development of materials with the environment, resources and energy, etc. The selected focus is on niche material directions with huge market potential and high added value, and hopes to achieve specialization and industrialization as soon as possible.

      In 2021, Japan released the " Materials Innovation Enhancement Strategy ", proposing to establish a data-based materials innovation system and promote data-driven materials research to enhance Japan's materials innovation capacity. The strategy presents action plans around three dimensions: material development and application, data-driven research and development, and international competitiveness. Among them, data-driven research and development is the main measure, aiming to integrate data-based material research and development platforms and build a data-driven innovation system.

      In June 2023, Japan released the "Semiconductor and Digital Industry Strategy", proposing to increase the sales of domestic semiconductor-related industries to 1.5 ×10³ billion yen by 2030 through measures such as strengthening the domestic industrial foundation, promoting international cooperation, and facilitating technological innovation, thereby achieving a comprehensive revival of the semiconductor industry. Japan's research projects in the field of semiconductor materials cover multiple levels, from basic research to application development. For example, research on next-generation semiconductor materials (such as two-dimensional materials, carbon-based materials, etc.) and research on performance improvement and cost reduction of existing materials. Both the Japanese government and enterprises have invested heavily to support technological innovation in semiconductor materials. It is reported that Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has specially allocated over 123 billion yen in its 2024 budget for chip-related plans, with the majority of the funds to be used to strengthen the supply chain and promote the development of the semiconductor industry. Japan has made several technological breakthroughs in semiconductor materials in recent years, especially in key materials such as extreme ultraviolet photoresist, with Japanese companies taking up half of the global market.

      This technological advantage not only provides a strong support for the development of Japan's semiconductor industry, but also gives it an important position in the global technological competition. Japan leads the world in carbon fiber, electronic materials, special steel, ceramic materials and other fields, and focuses on developing new materials for information and communication, new energy, biotechnology and medical fields. Toray Industries started by improving its proprietary nanoscale structure control technology and developed a new T1200 carbon fiber product, which is currently the strongest carbon fiber. In 2024, Japan's National Institute for Materials Science announced the launch of an artificial intelligence project aimed at predicting material properties and lifespan through electron microscope images of the material. The project will use data on material reliability assessment accumulated over more than half a century to enhance the reliability assessment of materials, equipment and infrastructure.

2.3 The European Union

      The EU has listed advanced materials as one of the keys enabling technologies, aiming to be international leaders in multiple research areas of materials science and engineering and to be the world's number one in as many advanced materials technologies as possible.

      The EU attaches great importance to clean technology. The European Commission launched the European Green Deal in 2019, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is an important part of it. In 2023, the EU launched the Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to strengthen all stages of the European critical raw materials value chain, including improving circularity and recycling rates. The EU aims to have at least 25 percent of its annual consumption of critical raw materials come from domestic recycling. In 2024, the Council of the European Union passed the "Net Zero Industry Act", stipulating that products from third countries with a market share exceeding 65% in the EU will be restricted, and proposing that at least 40% of the "strategic net zero technologies" in the EU be domestically manufactured by 2030.

      The EU is also highly focused on frontier areas such as high-performance materials, smart materials, bio-based and recyclable materials, and nanotechnology. In December 2022, the European Materials Alliance released the "Materials 2030 Roadmap", elaborating in detail on five common priority development areas (digitalization of materials, processing and large-scale production of new materials, materials innovation markets, policies, governance, etc.) around nine major categories of materials innovation markets. Seven priority development directions (bio-based, biodegradable, recyclable materials, embedded electronic devices and post-silicon era electronic devices, advanced coating and surface textured materials, advanced materials for additive manufacturing, sensors and multifunctional materials, materials for recycling purposes and material reuse, fiber-based materials, etc.).

      In February 2024, the European Commission released the Advanced Materials Industry Leadership Bulletin, which proposed strong support for advanced materials research and innovation in the four strategic areas of energy, transport, construction and electronics; Build a digital infrastructure dedicated to advanced materials research and innovation, and accelerate the design, development and testing of new advanced materials in a controlled environment with tools such as artificial intelligence.

      In March 2024, the European Commission adopted the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 on new materials, mainly exploring support for future technologies that will lead the next wave of innovation, such as biomaterials, two-dimensional materials, etc. Accelerate the design, development, production and recycling of new innovative materials and composites; Develop renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind energy storage technologies.

2.4 United Kingdom

      As a long-established and dominant country in the field of materials, the United Kingdom focuses on leveraging the world's advanced materials technology to promote sustainable development. The UK leads the world in the discovery and early research of materials. Its universities have a long-standing advantage in materials science, the invention and discovery of new materials, and cooperation with industry. It was the first to propose the strategy of building a cluster of key technologies for new materials. In July 2021, the UK released the UK Innovation Strategy: Leading the Future by Creating It, identifying "Advanced Materials and Manufacturing" as one of the seven key technology clusters to boost the UK economy in the future, enabling the mass production of advanced materials and integrating safety assessment and sustainability into the design and innovation of materials.

      In April 2024, the Henry Royce Institute, a national-level materials science research and innovation institution in the UK, released the "National Materials Strategy Progress Report", with energy materials, soft materials, biocompatible materials, structural materials, surface reinforcement and protective materials, electronic/telecommunication/sensing and computing technology materials, etc. being the key focus areas. Meanwhile, materials sustainability and recycling, the use of digital and artificial intelligence and big data to accelerate material discovery, and critical mineral raw materials, as cross-disciplinary themes, have also received widespread attention.

      In January 2025, the UK officially launched the National Materials Innovation Strategy, marking the beginning of the "Materials 4.0" era for the UK, aiming to further consolidate its global leadership, drive economic growth through materials innovation, and address many of the major challenges facing society. The strategy identifies 19 specific opportunities for materials innovation and more than 40 priorities, and proposes that the UK will build an integrated ecosystem for materials innovation over the next 10 years to drive the full transformation of materials science from basic research to industrialization. The six key opportunity areas that the strategy focuses on include: energy solutions, future healthcare, structural innovation, advanced surface technologies, next-generation electronics, communications and sensors, consumer goods, packaging and specialty polymers, etc. "Materials 4.0" focuses on leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, and digital twins to accelerate the development, testing, and manufacturing processes of materials.

 

3 Build an Innovation System of "AI+ Materials" with Distinctive Chinese Approach

      The current global research and development of new materials has entered a new stage of "data-driven + AI-enabled", with AI becoming the core driver of material innovation. China has a good foundation for building an "AI+ materials" innovation system. As early as 2016, the Ministry of Science and Technology launched the key project "Materials Genome Engineering", aiming to transform the research and development model of materials by integrating materials science, information technology and artificial intelligence, accelerate the discovery and application of new materials, and enhance the competitiveness of China's materials industry. In July 2017, The State Council released the Development Plan for the Next Generation of Artificial Intelligence, elevating the development of artificial intelligence to a national strategy. The New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, in conjunction with the Materials Genome Engineering project, has laid a solid foundation for "AI+ materials". "Materials Genome Engineering" is also one of the key directions in the ongoing major projects on new materials. In addition, more than a dozen national supercomputing centers have been established across the country, and the scale of intelligent computing power ranks second in the world, providing a good guarantee of computing power facilities.

      In 2024, the output value of China's new materials industry exceeded 8 trillion yuan, providing a rich array of scenarios for AI applications. China's industrial Internet platform has gathered massive data on material properties, research institutions have built more than 20 specialized databases including special alloys and polymer materials, high-throughput experimental equipment generates experimental data at the EB level annually, and some enterprises have successfully applied AI to material research and production. For instance, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has used AI to shorten the development cycle of solid electrolytes by 60 percent; China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited has used machine learning to optimize the composition design of superalloys; Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. has developed a material knowledge graph to assist in semiconductor material screening, etc. More importantly, China has the world's largest and richest application scenarios, creating favorable conditions for the accumulation of material service data and the iteration of intelligent material research and development. Establishing an "AI+ materials" innovation system with distinctive Chinese approach, driven by scenarios for intelligent research and development and upgrading of materials, is the key to whether China's new materials can win in international competition in the future.

      There are still some urgent problems in the construction of China's "AI+ materials" system. First, the data governance system needs to be improved. Most enterprises and institutions have problems such as inconsistent data formats, missing metadata, low data standardization, and incomplete sharing mechanisms. The data openness rate of research institutions is less than 30%, and there are "Data Silos". Secondly, there are breakpoints in the technology transfer chain. Most material AI models remain at the academic research stage, with a mismatch between algorithm development and material requirements. Moreover, the experimental verification link is weak, and the localization rate of automated experimental equipment is less than 40%. In addition, there is a severe shortage of compound talents who are proficient in both AI and materials in China, and the level of interdisciplinary integration needs to be further improved.

      During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China should continue to make efforts in the following areas. First, build and improve the "AI+ materials" infrastructure that integrates data, algorithms and experiments. Strengthen the construction of the data hub, accelerate the establishment of the national materials big data center, and formulate ISO standards for materials data; Strengthen the construction of the computing power network, establish a dedicated AI supercomputing platform for materials, and develop a general intelligent large model for materials; Build an intelligent experimental verification platform for materials, set up independent laboratories, promote the "computing-experiment" closed-loop research and development model, promote cooperation between academia and industry, and accelerate the verification and application of AI technology in the materials field. Second, develop an "AI+ materials" ecosystem, establish an open source community for materials AI, share pre-trained models and algorithm toolkits, establish an evaluation system for the maturity of materials AI technology, and cultivate an AI-driven material intellectual property trading market. Third, accelerate the development of "AI+ materials" talents, such as setting up interdisciplinary fields of intelligent materials technology in universities, developing AI training datasets and virtual simulation teaching platforms for materials, and implementing the "Outstanding Materials AI Engineer" training program. Through these plans, we aim to form several international leading materials intelligence research and development platforms by 2030 and basically establish an independent and controllable "AI+ materials" innovation system by 2035.

 

4 Key Tasks for Research and Application of New Materials for 2035

      New-generation information technology, new energy, major projects and high-end equipment, life and health, etc. are strategic fields that China must compete in to achieve the goals of becoming a science and technology power and a manufacturing power, and they are also key areas with significant demands for new materials. Supporting and meeting the application demands of these key areas is also a key task for the development of new materials in China over the next 10 years.

1) The development of artificial intelligence and the construction of Digital China have put forward higher requirements for high-performance computing and storage, high-speed and large-capacity network communication and intelligent human-computer interaction systems, and there is an urgent need to develop a batch of new information materials

      (1) Key materials for advanced computing and storage. With the rapid development of computing scenarios such as artificial intelligence, supercomputing, and cloud computing, there will be millions of data centers in the future. The performance of traditional silicon-based materials and their associated peripheral materials is close to the limit in both AI computing and electrical power. Heterogeneous integration combines the advantages and complementarity of different material systems and device structures to create new material devices with multiple excellent properties, overcoming the limitation that a single material or device structure cannot meet all performance requirements, and becoming an effective way to solve the basic high-performance components for energy and information needs in the future. As integrated circuit process technology advances towards process nodes below 2 nm, the semiconductor technology on which computing depends is gradually approaching its physical limits. The combination process transformation of two-dimensional semiconductor materials such as graphene, metal-type carbon nanotubes, and metal-phase transition metal disulfide compounds is expected to break free from the limitations of silicon-based semiconductors and become a key material for the next generation of chips in the post-Moore era. Quantum computing is a disruptive technology in the field of computing, and the quantum computing material system includes superconducting materials, related electronic materials, topological quantum materials, and quantum phenomena in advanced materials. At present, new breakthroughs have been made in the research of silicon spin qubits, "magic Angle" graphene, and Indium Arsenide (InAs) quantum dots. Quantum computing materials present a multi-route parallel pattern. The industrialization process of superconducting and silicon-based routes is relatively fast, while topological materials still need basic research support. In terms of storage, due to the scaling challenge of capacitors, the traditional memory route, which relies on semiconductor processes to increase density, is evolving far behind Moore's Law. Memory power consumption has become a major technical bottleneck, and there is an urgent need to develop new storage technologies and media. Memory Die are about to shift to thin films and etching processes, as well as the exploration of three-dimensional memory processes based on advanced new materials such as oxide semiconductors and wurtzite ferroelectricity. The development of new materials and new processes to support the improvement of the cost performance and capacity of 3D memory is expected to break away from the reliance on the ultraviolet lithography process, form a domestic advantageous industry, and drive the equipment and processes such as semiconductor thin film deposition, etching, and bonding to world-class levels.

      (2) Key materials for communication and networks. In the next decade, communication networks will continue to explore new scenarios and technologies. In addition to the continuous evolution of technologies such as wireless communication, optical communication, and the Internet, which have been agreed upon in the industry, various new network scenarios will also continue to emerge, such as the next-generation human-computer interaction network, the integrated living and traveling network, the all-domain three-dimensional network of air, space and ground, the advanced computing power network, and the self-intelligent network. There is an urgent need to develop new devices and materials for future network systems. Including wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as Gallium Nitride, ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as Diamond, highly polarized wurtzite ferroelectric materials, highly integrated isolator materials, ultra-low loss antenna materials, new tunable materials, highly sensitive piezoelectric materials and detector materials, advanced functional ceramic materials and magnetic materials, etc. High performance lasers and high performance electro-optic modulators, high performance optical amplifiers, etc. are the core components of F6G optical communication. At present, most of the materials for F5G lasers and 5G modulators in China have been largely independently controlled, but SOI substrates for silicon photonics (silicon on insulating substrates) and high-purity lithium niobate crystal rods for lithium niobate films still rely on imports. For the construction of AI data centers, chip light output and all-optical interconnection technologies are the key paths to systematically enhance computing power and energy efficiency. In terms of chip exposing, a new generation of high electro-optical coefficient materials such as PZT piezoelectric ceramics (lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics), BTO (barium titanate), and Polymer (polymer composite materials) can enable modulators to achieve micron-sized, more than 200G signal bandwidth and low insertion loss, and are key optoelectronic chip materials for data centers. In terms of optical interaction, ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal materials have an electro-optic response speed 1,000 times higher than that of existing liquid crystal materials used in MEMS (Micro-Electro-mechanical Systems) or LCOS (silicon-based liquid crystal displays), and are key materials for the future development of larger-scale cluster networks with an electro-optic response speed of microseconds.

      (3) New display technologies and key materials. In the industrialized evaporation OLED display technology, due to the early start of research and development by foreign manufacturers, a strong patent layout and industrial chain division of labor have been formed, and basic patents and core technologies are basically monopolized by Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea. In the future, with the rapid progress of new-generation information technologies such as 5G, big data, artificial intelligence and wearable devices, display application scenarios will become more diverse, and display application forms will develop from flat panel display to flexible display of roll-to-roll process, ubiquitous display, multi-dimensional display and stereoscopic display. There is an urgent need to lay out the next generation of new display materials such as solution-based OLED/QLED displays, ultra-large capacity micro-nano displays, and ultra-high definition laser display material systems, and to establish a new independent IP system.

2) To achieve the "Dual Carbon" goals and sustainable development, it is urgent to develop new energy materials, build a flexible, intelligent and controllable "semiconductor power grid", and improve the efficiency of clean energy utilization

      (1) photoelectric conversion materials. The photovoltaic industry is a globally competitive sector in China. N-type monocrystalline silicon cell technologies, represented by heterojunction (HJT), tunnel oxide layer passivated contact (TOPCon), and interdigitated back contact (IBC), are gradually replacing passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) cell technologies to become the mainstream in the market. China's N-type monocrystalline silicon cell capacity continues to expand, but further optimization and improvement in modules and production processes are needed. Thin-film solar cells and new tandem solar cells have shown significant advantages in terms of efficiency, economy and reliability. Further improving the conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon cells and promoting the rapid industrialization of thin-film solar cell materials and new tandem solar cell materials are the key paths for China's photovoltaic industry to continue to lead the world.

      (2) Power battery and energy storage battery materials. Electrification of transportation and cleanliness of energy demand that power batteries and energy storage batteries have high safety, high energy density and longer lifespan. China leads the world in liquid electrolyte lithium-ion batteries, hybrid solid-liquid electrolyte lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, flow batteries, and lithium capacitors. It is catching up or running side by side in the development of advanced technologies such as sulfide all-solid-state, polymer oxide composite all-solid-state batteries, metal lithium batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, and high-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries. Sodium-ion batteries have a significant resource advantage over lithium-ion batteries, with outstanding advantages in low-temperature and rate performance, and are suitable for low-speed electric vehicles in cold regions, start-stop power supplies, heavy-duty truck batteries, and large-scale energy storage. In the future, there will be a need to accelerate breakthroughs in improving performance such as energy density, cycle life and safety. China is now leading the world with major breakthroughs in new battery materials such as nano-silicon-carbon anode materials, high-voltage ternary materials, lithium cobalt oxide and rich lithium manganese-based cathode materials, oxide solid electrolytes and in-situ solid-state electrolytes. In the field of hydrogen fuel cells, developed countries have blocked China's solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and electrolysis cell (SOEC). China lags behind foreign countries in core technical indicators such as battery, stack performance and decay rate, and urgently needs to speed up efforts to tackle the challenge of core technologies.

      (3) Key materials for controlled nuclear fusion. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is under construction in France, is expected to ignite plasma in 2034 and begin deuterium-tritium fusion discharge after 2039. While participating in the construction of ITER, developed countries are speeding up the design and development of the next generation fusion reactor. Europe, the United States, Japan and others have long persisted in the research and development of infrastructure materials, plasma-oriented materials, functional materials, etc. for the fusion demonstration reactor after 2035, and have initially met the conditions for building the reactor. Due to a relatively late start, there is still a certain gap between China's fusion reactor materials and those of Europe, the United States, Japan and other countries and regions. For example, the ability to control material impurity content is Insufficient, and the content of easily activated elements is relatively high; Insufficient mass production capacity, unstable process; The accumulation of nuclear data on materials is insufficient, especially the lack of experimental data on macroscopic performance tests under neutron irradiation, and a breakthrough is urgently needed.

      (4) Key materials for wind turbine units. China has the world's largest new installed capacity of wind power. Key materials such as rare earth permanent magnet materials for permanent magnet direct drive motors with high resistance to Marine climate and seawater corrosion, high-performance steel for wind power, carbon fiber wind turbine blades, and third-generation semiconductors can meet the application requirements of high-power wind power. Domestic carbon fibers have been used in 120 m class offshore wind power units, and carbon fibers and composites for 140 m class super-large wind power units are currently under development.

      (5) Key materials for clean and efficient energy utilization and smart grids. Ultra-supercritical power generation technology is the mainstream technology direction for the clean and efficient utilization of fossil energy. In terms of 700 ° C ultra-supercritical power stations, China is currently in a stage of synchronous and competitive research and development with the international community, and urgently needs to seize the technological high ground by enhancing the industrialization capabilities of materials and components. Heavy-duty gas turbines have obvious advantages in energy structure adjustment and energy conservation and emission reduction, and there is an urgent need to break through the research and development of key heat-resistant alloy materials and the preparation technology of hot-end components. China's smart grid construction projects have put forward higher requirements for the power density, reliability and controllability of AC/DC transmission devices. Power semiconductor devices (also known as power electronic devices) as the "CPU" for electrical energy (power) conversion and processing are key to implementing electrical energy transmission, processing, storage and control. Third-generation semiconductor devices, represented by Silicon Carbide, will be at the core of the next generation of power conversion technology, but they still face challenges such as low-cost, high-quality, low-resistance, large-sized substrate materials, ultra-thick epitaxial materials with low defect density and doping concentration precisely controllable hundred-micron epitaxial materials, long-term reliability of ultra-high voltage devices, and ultra-high voltage high-speed silicon carbide device testing technology.

3) High-end equipment is the main breakthrough direction for China to move towards becoming a manufacturing power and the guarantee for implementing major projects, which requires a large number of special structural and special functional materials to provide the basic support

      (1) Key materials for humanoid robots. Humanoid robots are more technically complex than industrial robots, and higher requirements are placed on the types and performance of materials in aspects such as intelligent perception, autonomous cognition, human-robot interaction, adaptive compliant control, lightweight and long endurance. On the one hand, China should accelerate the development of key materials such as bearing materials, reducer materials, and motor materials with higher performance; On the other hand, the development and application improvement of key materials such as environmental perception materials, skin contact materials, finger control materials, and image recognition glass that support AI algorithms will help China seize the high ground in the humanoid robot race.

      (2) Key materials for aerospace equipment. The major projects that support building a strong aerospace nation, such as heavy-lift launch vehicles, new-generation long-life satellites and space stations, and large civil airliners and their engines, have higher requirements for high-end structural materials. Increasing the payload capacity of heavy manned rockets, reducing the structural weight ratio of satellites, achieving structural weight reduction and fuel efficiency reduction of domestically produced large passenger aircraft, and improving the thrust-to-weight ratio of aero engines, etc. There is an urgent need to significantly improve the overall performance of heavy rocket bodies - cryogenic gas cylinders - fuel tanks, satellite load-bearing structures, large passenger aircraft fuselage - wing - take-off and landing system load-bearing structures, aero engine blades and turbine discs. The performance of key materials such as high performance carbon fiber, high strength and toughness aluminum alloy/aluminum-lithium alloy, ultra-high strength steel, high-temperature alloy, and precision tool and die steel still needs to be improved, and a series of new manufacturing processes and application technologies need to be broken through.

      (3) Backup key materials for high-tech ships and Marine tooling. High-performance offshore engineering equipment for the deep sea and polar regions, high-tech vessels and long-life island and reef platforms, as well as key projects for building a maritime power and safeguarding national territorial sea security, put forward higher requirements for the performance of special alloy materials. There is an urgent need to break through key technologies such as high strength and toughness steel plates for high-performance offshore platforms without preheating/high line energy welding, anti-collision and fatigue-resistant structural steel and low-temperature steel for special-purpose ships, titanium alloy and ultra-high strength steel for the main structure of deep-sea submersibles, and long-life corrosion-resistant steel and wear-resistant alloys for extreme Marine corrosive environments such as high humidity and heat, high salt and strong radiation. In the future, there will be a significant demand for new Marine structural and functional materials, including subsea exploration equipment, water surface support equipment, subsea mining equipment, underwater transportation equipment, and equipment needed for deep-sea base construction that will support China's seabed mineral development. Systematic research and development are urgently needed.

      (4) Key materials for advanced rail transit equipment. The 400-500 km/h high-speed train under development has more demanding requirements for key components such as bearings, gears, wheel sets, bogie frames, pantograph nets, lightweight bodies, high-power permanent magnet traction motors, traction and auxiliary converter systems. There is no mature supply of structural and electronic materials at home and abroad. China's 600 km/h superconducting maglev materials and technology are still in the stage of prototype development and experimental verification, and there is a significant gap compared with Japan's upcoming commercial superconducting electric maglev technology. There is an urgent need to develop high-performance superconducting materials and strong magnetic field magnets.

      (5) Key materials for weapons and equipment. Lightweight materials that meet the requirements of extreme service environments will play an increasingly important role in the development of aerospace weapons and equipment. Internationally, continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CFCCs) have already been applied in high thrust-to-weight ratio aero-engine hot-end components. Wide-bandgap (WBG) and ultra-wide-bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors like Silicon Carbide, Gallium Nitride, and Gallium Oxide meet the demanding requirements of power electronics under extreme conditions - high temperature, high power, high voltage, high frequency, and radiation resistance - making them critical for naval/air military platforms (aircraft carriers, submarines, etc.). The U.S. Commerce Department has listed diamond and Ga₂O₃ under export controls. China's UWBG R&D started relatively late and requires urgent strategic deployment.

      Novel rare-earth functional materials are indispensable for manufacturing core components (power systems, guidance, control, and detection) in precision-guided weapons and platforms. Mid-infrared lasers utilizing rare-earth crystals are vital for space-based/airborne infrared early-warning satellites and atmospheric monitoring. However, China still needs to overcome technical challenges in producing large-diameter, high-quality mid-infrared laser crystals.

4) In order to achieve the goals of people's health and sustainable development, it is urgent to vigorously develop new types of biomedical materials and biomanufacturing materials

      (1) Renewable human tissue and organ biomaterials. Traditional implant materials can no longer meet clinical needs. Tissue induced biomaterials can achieve regeneration or formation of bone, cartilage, nerves, tendons, cardiovascular tissues, etc. induced by biomaterials. For example, the surface of "three-dimensional porous Ca-P bone apatite" can induce bone regeneration or formation; Type I collagen based hydrogel can induce stem cells to differentiate into chondroblasts and induce cartilage regeneration to form cartilage inductive scaffolds and tissue engineered articular cartilage repair implants; The central nervous system repair materials that promote the regeneration of the spinal cord and brain nerves are also a key focus of future development.

      (2) Minimally invasive interventional instrument repair materials. Minimally invasive interventional repair materials and instruments have small trauma and fast recovery, which is an important direction for the development of high-end medical devices. China should speed up the research and development of minimally invasive interventional occluders, cerebrovascular stents and other materials and devices with the function of heart tissue regeneration and repair, minimally invasive interventional hydrogel materials and devices for heart failure treatment, minimally invasive interventional heart valve materials and devices with anti calcification, anticoagulation, and prevention of peripheral leakage, and absorbable biomaterials based on vascular reconstruction therapy.

      (3) Biomanufacturing materials. In March 2023, the United States released its biomanufacturing development goals, proposing that bio-based plastics account for more than 90 percent of plastics by 2040 and that 30 percent of chemicals be produced through biomanufacturing. The global annual plastic production is close to 300 million tons, with China accounting for about one-third of the world's plastic production. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicts that 25 percent of petrochemical plastics will be replaced by bio-based plastics made from natural substances such as starch by 2030. China currently has a substitution rate of less than 5 percent. Vigorously developing key technologies for the green manufacturing and application of bio-based plastics, bio-based nylon and bio-based rubber is an important way to reduce excessive reliance on petrochemical resources and achieve the country's "Dual Carbon" goals, and research and development and industrialization layout are urgently needed.

 

5 Development Suggestions

1) Fostering a healthy ecosystem of scientific and technological innovation should encourage industrial value-oriented basic research.

      Leading enterprises are at the forefront of suppression by the US and the West, familiar with the industry's needs, pain points, and how to systematically alleviate process constraints. They should be more involved in "setting questions" (proposing demands and direction suggestions), "co-answering" (process tracking and management), and "grading" (project outcome evaluation). Emphasis should be placed on originality, and a culture of diverse research should be created. For research on frontier materials, encourage early free exploration of innovative ideas that have not reached a consensus and whose technical paths are not clear. It is suggested that relevant departments establish exploratory projects to encourage scientists, especially young workers, to boldly explore the frontier. Establish venture capital and return mechanisms to encourage private capital to invest in original research activities and share scientific and technological achievements.

2) Establish a global rapid capture mechanism for scientific research achievements.

      The United States and other Western countries attach great importance to the capture of important scientific research achievements. Organizations such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will boldly invest in basic research in advance when they are judged to have industrial value, take the lead in cultivating a development ecosystem in the United States, and proactively bring scientific research forces into new research fields to ensure that the United States does not miss the opportunity to lead in the future. China currently lacks a rapid capture mechanism for research results, is slow to respond to foreign dynamics, and is difficult to make a decision after repeated deliberation when new research is opposed by existing research. The project initiation is slow and the support is weak, and can only achieve minor following, not enough to achieve overall leadership. It is suggested that relevant departments attach importance to scientific and technological intelligence work, establish a rapid capture mechanism for important global research results, and ensure that research in important fields does not lag behind foreign countries in starting.

 

6 Conclusion

      After years of continuous planning and efforts, China's new materials technology innovation has basically entered the "fast lane" of sound development. At present, we should follow the trend of the development of new quality productivity, seize the great opportunity of the explosion of artificial intelligence, and accelerate the establishment of an innovation system of "AI+ materials" with Chinese characteristics; We should focus on key areas and further enhance our support and guarantee capabilities; Strengthen support in frontier technologies, encourage exploration, and jointly promote the vigorous development and advancement of China's new materials science and technology.