From July 9-11, 2024, the Chinese Materials Conference 2024 and the 2nd World Materials Conference were grandly held at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center. Nearly a hundred academicians and 25,000 materials science and technology professionals from around the world attended the conference. The Chinese Materials Conference is a national-level new materials brand conference. This 24th edition of the conference aimed at accelerating the construction of new quality products.

The conference promoted major breakthroughs in the field of new materials through an integration of government, industry, academia, and research. It featured various symposia that focused on advancing frontier interdisciplinary areas, extreme scenarios, in-depth microscopic reconstruction, and macro exploration. In five major areas—energy materials, environmental materials, advanced structural materials, functional materials, and materials design, preparation, and evaluation—there were 92 symposia sessions, 3 frontier hotspot youth symposia, 8 special new materials symposia, 2 frontier flash reporting zone, 1 material journal symposium, and 4 training courses. These provided a diversified platform for representatives with different needs to exchange ideas.

The large scale of participation in this conference demonstrates the strong determination of materials science and technology professionals, inspired by the science and technology conference, to devote themselves to the construction of the national new materials system, aiming for significant breakthroughs in key areas and striving for major advancements in critical strategic materials.

Compared to previous years, the level of internationalization of this year's conference has further increased. In collaboration with the European Materials Research Society and the Japan Society of Materials Science, 12 international sub-forums were established. The conference was not only a large-scale gathering for the Chinese materials science community but also a high-end platform for global materials science elites to discuss development and explore the future.Top scholars from 35 countries around the world joined Chinese scholars at the conference, bringing not only cutting-edge research results but also a strong sense of responsibility for the future development of global materials science.

This conference was hosted by the Chinese Materials Research Society and co-hosted by the European Materials Research Society. The conference chairs were Academician We Bingbo, President of the Chinese Materials Research Society; Academician Li Yuanyuan, President of the Chinese Materials Research Society; Professor Tony Kenyon, President of the European Materials Research Society; and Professor Yuzo Shigesato, President of the Materials Research Society of Japan.

The conference invited 10 world-class new materials scientists to deliver plenary reports. They are Academician Yuanyuan Li, President of the Chinese Materials Research Society and Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Professor Joan Ramon Morante, former President of the European Materials Research Society and University of Barcelona; Professor Yuzo Shigesato, President of the Japan Society of Materials Science and Aoyama Gakuin University; Professor Ming Gao, Chinese Academy of Sciences Space Application Engineering and Technology Center; Academician Lei Jiang, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Physical and Chemical Technology; Academician Huiming Cheng, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology; Academician Shuhong Yu, Southern University of Science and Technology; Professor Xueqing Qiu, Guangdong University of Technology; Professor Hua Zhang, City University of Hong Kong; and Professor Qiang Zhang, Tsinghua University.

Academician Yuanyuan Li delivered a report titled "From Catching Up to Leading: Development and Prospects of China's New Materials Industry."

Professor Ming Gao delivered a report titled "Development and Reflections on Space Materials Science."

Academician Lei Jiang delivered a report titled "Recent Advances in Bionic Super-Wetting Interface Materials and Future Technologies."

Professor Yuzo Shigesato delivered a report titled "Various Functional Oxide Films with High Performances Deposited by Reactive Sputtering."

Professor Joan Ramon Morante delivered a report titled "Materials for the Conversion and Storage of Energy in a World Without Fossil Sources."

Academician Huiming Cheng delivered a report titled "Explorations of New 2D Materials and Their Novel Properties."

Academician Shuhong Yu delivered a report titled "Bionic Materials: The Frontier of Interdisciplinary Science."

Professor Xueqing Qiu delivered a report titled "High-Performance Lignin-Based Functional Materials."

Professor Hua Zhang delivered a report titled "Phase Engineering of Nanomaterials (PEN)."

Professor Qiang Zhang delivered a report titled "Lithium-Ion Bonds Driving the High-Quality Development of Secondary Battery Materials."

During the conference, high-level discussions were also held concurrently between the materials communities of C-MRS and E-MRS, C-MRS and MRS-J, and C-MRS and MRS-K. The successful completion of these three discussions marks a significant step forward in the collaboration between the Chinese Materials Research Society and the European Materials Research Society, the Materials Research Society of Japan, and the Materials Research Society of Korea. The Chinese Materials Research Society remains committed to the principle of win-win cooperation, working together with various parties to advance the field of materials science and make greater contributions to human progress and prosperity.

This year's conference established a special "Frontier Flash Reporting" podium and poster display area for young materials scholars. The aim is to provide a valuable showcase platform for young researchers who did not have the opportunity to present their academic reports in the sub-forums.

During the conference, in response to the new trends and requirements of technological innovation and high-quality development, and to promote the transfer and transformation of technological achievements in the new materials field, as well as to cultivate a high-quality team of technology transfer professionals, the second session of the "Technology Broker Training Program in the Field of New Materials" was launched. Additionally, to help researchers improve their skills in writing scientific papers and grant proposals, and to support their personal research development, a "Training Program for Enhancing Academic Paper and Grant Writing Skills" was also established.

This conference was a grand event, focused on addressing the nation's major needs, driving significant breakthroughs in key areas, and creating a new quality productivity driving force. It aimed to plan for future emerging industry hotspots on a national and global scale. The conference brought together top experts and scholars, outstanding scientists, and innovative entrepreneurs from both domestic and international backgrounds. China has now entered a stage of rapid development in new materials, with cutting-edge research reaching the forefront of the world.