Main Challenges

  1. Novel concepts for intelligent components and structures with integrated functionalities that are able to communicate and interact with their environment, store data about their condition and react accordingly to external stimuli.
  2. Development of materials that can alter their physical properties and shape.
  3. Intelligent structures and components that provide information of their in-service conditions.
  4. Self-repair, self-healing, lightweight composites that inform the user of any internal damage without the need of time consuming measurement techniques.
  5. Non-destructive examination.
  6. Materials or structures that can undergo shape change either passively or by activation.
  7. Functionally, Graded composite Materials (FGMs), energy storing components.
  8. Predictive modelling of materials functionalities for those materials for which there are currently no accurate commercial or open-source codes available.