Sustainable Development in Materials Engineering: Shaping the Future Responsibly

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable development in materials engineering is a critical field that focuses on balancing high performance with environmental responsibility while maximizing economic viability. As the demand for advanced materials grows, the challenge lies in innovating without depleting resources throughout a material lifecycle. The key goal in sustainable materials engineering is straightforward—to create materials that are renewable, recyclable, or biodegradable. Studies reveal a shift toward bio-based polymers, recycled composites, and natural fibres in order to alleviate the carbon footprint. On the manufacturing side, energy-efficient technologies, like additive manufacturing (3D printing) or those based on renewable energy, are helping cut down waste and emissions significantly. The strategy also has long-term aims—designing for durability and a circular economy where products are built to last and be repurposed, enabling continuous reuse. From smart materials to nanotechnology, innovation highlights new ways to enhance sustainability and enable responsive solutions across industries. However, the transfer of green solutions from the lab to the market requires collaboration between academia and industry leaders. This represents a complex balancing act between cost and performance, but it is the way forward for a resilient future.

Through this Special Issue, distinguished researchers are emboldened to publish and advance their original and innovative scientific studies in the field of sustainable materials or encompassing the latest sustainable technologies, which will contribute further to the development of the sustainable materials and engineering.

It is my pleasure to invite all of you to submit manuscripts for inclusion in the Special Issue entitled “Sustainable Development in Materials Engineering: Shaping the Future Responsibly”. Research articles and review papers are welcomed.

Dr. Aura-Catalina Mocanu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.