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2026 Roadmap on Digitalising Materials Science

Abstract

Materials science is at the crossroad between fundamental and applied sciences. Whether enabling clean energy, next-generation computing, or advanced manufacturing, it shapes the tools we use and the systems we build. As our societies undergo rapid digital, environmental, and technological transitions, materials science becomes even more central. It's a space where innovation can respond to practical challenges while aligning with broader social values. In the European context, that means supporting sustainability, openness, and solidarity -while also strengthening competitiveness.This roadmap explores how digital tools-especially simulation, data science, and AI-are transforming materials research, in connection with the twin digital and energy transition. The digital transition refers to the widespread adoption of digital technologies and data-driven methods across sectors, while the green (or energy) transition focuses on shifting toward sustainable, lowcarbon energy systems-together forming what is often called the twin transition, a joint effort to make economies both smarter and more sustainable.The Roadmap outlines both the technical directions and the cultural shifts needed to make this transformation inclusive and effective. Chapters span from atomic-scale simulations to advanced experimentation, from reproducibility to intelligent optimization, and from institutional reform to education for the next generation.Importantly, this isn't a single viewpoint. The document brings together a wide range of voices: researchers from different disciplines, working across length and time scales. It includes early-career scientists and senior experts. Enabled by activities supported by European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), it reflects a commitment to gender and geographic diversity. This plurality doesn't just enrich the content-it makes the vision more robust and relevant. We hope this collection serves not just as a guide, but as an invitation to collaborate-across fields, sectors, and borders-as we reimagine the future of materials science in a digital age.
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Category

Academic article

Language

Other

Author(s)

  • Kevin Rossi
  • Federico Grasselli
  • Amila Akagic
  • Jesper Friis
  • Ivor Lončarić
  • Theodore Pavloudis
  • Joseph Kioseoglou
  • Johannes Wasmer
  • Attila Cangi
  • Stefan Blügel
  • Leticia A Gracia
  • Belén Hernández Gascón
  • Amra Hasečić
  • Javier Heras-Domingo
  • Francesco Mercuri
  • Alexei Kuzmin
  • Giovanni Bertoni
  • Paolo Rosi
  • Enzo Rotunno
  • Vincenzo Grillo
  • Muhammet Cahit Kulaç Kulaç
  • Bahattin Koc
  • Andy S. Anker
  • Jin Hyun Chang
  • Jelle Vekeman
  • Toon Verstraelen
  • Matteo Cobelli
  • Luke PJ Gilligan
  • Stefano Sanvito
  • Sepideh Baghaee Ravari
  • Lei Zhang
  • Markus Stricker
  • Jonathan Schmidt
  • Dario Calvani
  • Amil Aligayev
  • Benjamin Udofia
  • Gauravkumar LAthiya
  • Francisco Javier Domínguez-Gutiérrez
  • Patricia Alexandra Gregório Ramos
  • José Manuel Oliveira
  • Silvia Bonfanti
  • Tero Mäkinen
  • Mikko Alava
  • Dmytro Khomenko
  • Matthias Stosiek
  • Yuhao Zhang
  • Patrick Rinke
  • Milica Todorović
  • Adrian Mirza
  • Nawaf Alampara
  • Siddhant Kumar
  • Elisa Molinari
  • Alice Ruini
  • Anagha Aneesh
  • Mara Schilling-Wilhelmi
  • Martiño Rios-Garcia
  • Kevin Maik Maik Jablonka

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Industry / Materials and Nanotechnology
  • Technical University of Denmark
  • University of Turku
  • Aalto University
  • Ghent University
  • Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  • Trinity College Dublin
  • The Ruđer Bošković Institute
  • Italy
  • University of Milan
  • University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
  • National Research Council
  • Istituto Nanoscienze
  • University of Latvia
  • Delft University of Technology
  • National Centre for Nuclear Research
  • INESC TEC - Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science
  • Spain
  • Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia
  • ETH Zurich
  • Sabanci University
  • Germany
  • Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
  • University of the Ruhr, Bochum
  • Technical University of Munich
  • Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
  • University of Sarajevo

Year

2026

Published in

JPhys Materials

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository