Lux Research has tracked the translation of smart materials from the lab to the market in its latest report – ‘Get Smart: smart materials as a design paradigm’ – examining advances in the development of smart materials and their adoption by industry.

Smart materials from lab to market: classes, applications and development stages – for a larger version of the infographic, click on the image [image credit: Lux Research]

Long incubation times, but rapid commercialization when conditions are right
As you’ll discover by reading TMR+ (most recently in this month’s story on OLEDs) – translating promising results into a robust products can take decades and smart materials are no exception, according to the Lux analysis.

What’s also interesting to note is the rapid pace of commercialization once market conditions are right – pieozelectric materials are a great example. This class of materials was long relegated to niche applications before booming due to adoption in mainstream products such as inkjet printers, digital cameras and smartphones, as Anthony Vicari – lead author of the report – points out.

Related reading on TMR+
– Partnerships and revenue models unlock opportunities for smart coatings
– Trajectories in translation: parallels between old and new materials