Innovations in materials science that have been taking shape in the laboratory over the last decade will become commercial realities over the next 10 years. High-performing materials fashioned for specific applications could radically change the way products are designed and marketed, and by implication, bring new challenges and opportunities for supply chain managers.
The availability of alternatives to commonly used raw materials could have a deep impact on sourcing and recycling programs. Materials that offer important supply chain advantages such as lighter products, a smaller carbon footprint, and lower cost could affect operational decisions. Supply chain professionals need to be aware of these developments, even though they might assume that the materials science field is tangential at best to their own sphere of influence.
This white paper is part of a series of papers published by the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) on disruptive technologies that could reshape supply chains over the next decade.
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