The Material World

Our resident futurists, The Future Laboratory, examine how new material evolutions could improve sustainability.

Today’s world is defined by material excess. If the global population reaches 9.6bn by 2050 as predicted, we will require almost three planets' worth of natural resources to sustain current lifestyles, according to the UN. We need to revise how we create the products powering today’s globalised economy.

For businesses that want to maintain or increase their bottom line, this means re-engineering the fundamentals of their supply chain by developing or adopting new material solutions that achieve a lot more with a lot less. "The smart companies, manufacturers and brands are the ones who are starting to invest in sustainable material innovation," says Caroline Till, co-author of Radical Matter: Rethinking Materials for a Sustainable Future, adding, "There’s a thirst from consumers for this." It’s clear that tomorrow’s leaders will be those who are brave enough to invest in this research today.