SMI’s Advanced Materials Practice accelerates U.S. materials leadership by aligning government, industry, and capital to move materials innovation into application, strengthen domestic supply chains, and deliver mission-ready capability.
Materials are at the foundation of national and economic security and global competitiveness. Advanced materials enable stronger, lighter, more resilient, and higher-performing systems across defense, energy, aerospace, manufacturing, infrastructure, health, and environmental applications. From composites, metals, coatings, ceramics, and polymers to nanomaterials; electronic, photonic, and quantum materials; bio-inspired and bio-derived materials; and engineered materials for extreme environments, these technologies help drive capability, competitiveness, and supply chain security. Effective engagement with the federal government is essential to ensuring that promising materials innovations move from research and development into scaled production and real-world use.
Advanced materials have been central to SMI’s work since our founding. We have represented more than 400 clients in this practice area and helped generate several hundred million dollars in federal funding for materials-related development and manufacturing programs. Our work has involved agencies with meaningful extramural materials funding, including the Department of War, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Forest Service, National Institutes of Health, and Department of Homeland Security. Through these efforts, SMI has helped clients build public-private partnerships, facilitate technology transition, and expand the industrial base needed to support national and economic security missions.
SMI supports advanced materials clients by combining technical fluency, policy insight, federal funding expertise, and a deep network across government, industry, and research organizations. Our engineers and scientists work alongside experienced advocates to understand each client’s technology, identify relevant agency priorities, shape funding strategies, and position innovations for competitive opportunities. We support clients from basic research through technology maturation, manufacturing readiness, and production scale-up, while also helping create connections across the national enterprise that can lead to strategic investment, licensing, acquisition, and long-term growth.
Advanced Materials Practice Area Lead: Dr. Aisha Haynes
Advanced Materials Insights
Aisha Haynes and Mark Gillman; July 8, 2026
