Welcome to Translational Materials Research

'The Stone Age did not end for lack of stone,' said Sheikh Zaki Yamani, the then Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia a few decades ago [1]. Indeed, we should add, it ended with the discovery of bronze, the development of new processing methods, and the tools that the new material enabled us to fabricate. New materials discoveries have driven industrial revolutions ever since. In the last century new classes of materials, single crystals of metals and semiconductors, copper, and silicon among others, have been investigated and understood—by applying quantum mechanics—and their production and performance have been perfected. The invention of devices such as the transistor and solar cells followed, ushering in information technology and renewable energy generation along the way. Chemists invented plastics, catalysts and novel batteries. Today, in response to emerging global needs for technologies in the areas of energy, water and healthcare we are witnessing the emergence of a broad class of novel materials in different shapes and forms, with targeted functionality and designed for specific needs.

We are also seeing a clear shift of balance between fundamental and applied research driven by societal needs and expectations, which is changing the 'infrastructure' of scientific research. These changes are evident not only in the objectives of frontline research, but also in terms of funding sources, university focus, training of the next generation of scientists and technologists and relevance. The emphasis is gradually shifting from discovery-driven science and inventions towards innovation, and largely in areas of research that are relevant to, and make contributions towards, issues of importance for society as a whole. These shifts are particularly relevant in materials science, a field where scientific discoveries can trigger fundamental dislocations in product performance and applications across key sectors.

Translation, in the context of science and technology, is the series of innovations needed to advance fundamental discoveries or inventions into useful and competitive products. For a scientist or engineer it involves addressing issues that are usually not discussed in the invention or discovery phase: scalability of fabrication, reproducibility, lifetime, packaging and, yes, the price. But for this 'translation' to happen, a broad community of stakeholders is needed.

Universities have become more focused on innovation and are now developing intellectual property that can be marketed to the enterprise sector. Not so long ago, universities were thought to be ivory towers where the search for fundamental truths for the benefit of mankind was conducted, while they disseminated their findings freely and educated the next generation of academics. This is not true today. The university, crudely speaking, is not only in the business of using money to create knowledge, but is equally in the business of using knowledge to create money.

More and more funding is coupled to the expectation that scientific endeavours will lead to practical applications

Translation, by and large, is done by technologists working in companies, where the roadblocks are overcome, and the full potential of a discovery is realized. Increasingly, this is being done by working in collaboration with universities, or R&D labs—in the USA with National Laboratories and in Germany with the Fraunhofer Institutes, for example.

Governments and funding agencies also have a critical stake. Innovation has become a buzzword linked through numerous studies to GDP growth. In response, more and more funding is coupled to the expectation that scientific endeavours will lead to practical applications, with funding often directed towards a specific goal with a clear value proposition. Then there is the investment community—the incubators, the strategic investors, the venture capitalists, the 'angel' investors and the 'three Fs' (family, friends and fools) —who provide not only money, but also critical advice and support for start-ups during their early stages of growth. And, finally, in response to these trends, the nature of research in the academic community conducted by professors, postdocs and students is evolving. More and more, the value proposition, expressed also in the publication, is not only the fundamental discovery, but the premise and promise of application.

Translational Materials Research (TMR) has been designed to foster a collective conversation between all key stakeholders in the broad area of advanced materials research. Most journals focus on the invention or discovery phase and are written by scientists for other scientists. The aim for this new journal will be to make the link between curiosity-driven and application-driven research accessible to a wide audience, establishing connections across the entire innovation chain.

Our collective goal is to make TMR a vital source of information for all those scientists who dream of launching a company and changing the world

Articles cover not only advances in science and technology, but also the steps needed to develop a marketable product. In this first issue you will find that significant innovations in both technology and business approaches are described in peer-reviewed communications from the community, while broader topics are explored through editorials, interviews with key figures and opinion and commentary. We have also launched a companion blog, TMR+, to stimulate further discussion and debate, and we encourage you to join the conversation at http://tmrplus.iop.org.

We are aware that TMR is operating in a field where trade secrets can be more important than the 'publish or perish' mantra in academia. All the same, I hope that TMR becomes an important forum for all stakeholders to come together, exchange ideas and discuss trends. We have made an excellent start: the Editorial Board includes not only leading scientists from academia and industry, but also the CTO of one of the major multinational materials companies, a venture capitalist and experts in managing technology innovation. Our collective goal is to make TMR a vital source of information for all those scientists who dream of launching a company and changing the world.