Transitions in the Use of Materials

The operational dynamics of industrial societies are intricately intertwined with the diverse utilization of energy and the extraction and processing of materials. The entire production system relies heavily on the availability and application of energy and materials.

The sustained reliance on non-renewable energies like oil is no longer sustainable, and there is a pressing need to reconsider material transformations in light of waste management and the broader impacts stemming from industrial processes. Research initiatives should center on achievable transitions grounded in scientific, technological, and social considerations.

Morocco’s position as the world’s leading phosphate exporter gives UM6P a unique vantage point on the global materials economy. IAS researchers in this program engage with one of the most strategically important transition questions of our time — how to sustain industrial civilization while reducing its planetary footprint.