Every physical innovation starts as a decision about what it's made of.

This category recognizes breakthroughs in materials — new substances, smarter substitutions, and the science behind what things are built from.

Who enters this Category

Chemical and materials innovation, sustainable materials, advanced manufacturing inputs, and the science behind physical products.

Industrial & Manufacturing Energy & Environment

2026 Winners

This year's honorees in Materials Science came from Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and United States — reviewed by the same panel, held to the same standard.

GoldTaiwan

Innovation Happens in Many Forms

You don't have to be first. You have to be enough.

Materials breakthroughs are invisible to almost everyone except the engineers who specify them, which makes this feel like the hardest Category to get recognized in. Edison Awards judges Materials Science on Concept, Value, and Impact, and a smarter substitution or a genuinely better formulation counts as much as an entirely new class of material.

You don't have to have invented a material the world has never seen. You have to have made a real, provable improvement over what's currently specified. If you're wondering whether an incremental materials advance qualifies, the honest answer is almost always: submit it and let the panel decide.

How this Category gets judged

Every nomination is scored on the same three things.

Concept

Opportunity, Conception, Method, Development

How did the idea come to life? What factors, collaboration, iteration, and prototyping took it from genesis to market availability.

Value

Differentiation, Value Proposition, Market Advantage, Cost/Benefit

This is the elevator pitch — concise evidence for how the product or service is unique and benefits the people who use it.

Impact

Sustainability, Social Responsibility, Potential

The immediate effect on the environment or community served, and its predicted long-term effect on society at large.

Is this your category?

If your work sounds like what's described above, this is where you belong. Every entry is reviewed by an independent panel and judged on Concept, Value, and Impact, not company size, funding stage, or how new the idea is to the world.

Nominations are reviewed on a rolling basis ahead of the annual deadline. Entry fees increase as the deadline approaches. Submitting early costs less and maximizes exposure.

Nominate Now — Materials Science → Not sure this is the right fit? Find your category →

Every physical innovation starts as a decision about what it's made of.

This year's honorees in Materials Science came from Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and United States — reviewed by the same panel, held to the same standard.

Superfluidized All-Inorganic Solid-State Lithium-Ceramic Battery

ULTEM™ SU3102P Oligomer

ALTUS® Halo

You don't have to be first. You have to be enough.