Publications

Climate change, critical material shortages and environmental degradation pose an existential threat tothe entire world. Immediate action is needed to transform the global economy towards a more circular economywith less intensive use of fossil energy and limited resources and more use of recyclable materials. Recyclablematerials and manufacturing techniques will play a critical role in this transformation. Substantial advancementswill be needed to achieve a more intelligent materials design to enhance both functionality and enhancedsustainability. The development of hybrid materials combining functionality at macro and nano scales based onorganic and inorganic compounds, that are entirely recyclable could be used for tremendous applications. In thismini-review, we provide the reader with recent innovations on hybrid materials for application in water, energyand raw materials sectors. The topic is very modern and after its deep study we propose a creation an internationalresearch centre, that would combine the development of hybrid materials with green manufacturing. We havehighlighted a framework that would comprise critical themes of the initial research needed. Such a centre wouldpromote sustainable production of materials through intelligent hybridisation and eco-efficient, digitalmanufacturing and enable a circular economy in the long term. Such activities are strongly supported by currentenvironmental and economical initiatives, like the Green Deal, REPower EU and digital EU initiatives