Visiongain has published a new report entitled Smart & Sustainable Materials Market Report 2025–2035 (Including Impact of U.S. Trade Tariffs): Forecasts by Smart Integration Level (Active Smart Materials, Hybrid Smart-Sustainable Materials), by End-user (Building & Real Estate, Automotive and Electronics OEMs, Packaging Industry), by Sustainability Attribute (Low-Emission Materials, Recycled/Circular Materials, Bio-based/Renewable Materials, Zero-Waste & Closed-Loop Materials), by Application (Construction & Infrastructure, Automotive & Transportation, Consumer Electronics & Wearables, Packaging, Other), by Material Type (Advanced Composites, Smart Polymers, Nanomaterials, Bio-based Materials, Phase-Change Materials (PCMs), Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies.

The global smart & sustainable materials market is estimated at US$199.1 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period 2025-2035.

Impact of US Trade Tariffs on the Global Smart & Sustainable Materials Market   

The imposition of U.S. tariffs on smart and sustainable materials—ranging from advanced composites and specialty polymers to clean-tech metals—has created ripple effects across global supply chains. Since 2023, tariff policies on imports from countries like China and the EU have aimed to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce dependency on strategic materials, particularly in sectors such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, aerospace, and construction. However, these tariffs also raise costs for U.S. manufacturers that rely heavily on imported inputs, prompting a reconfiguration of sourcing strategies. Globally, trading partners have responded with countermeasures or trade diversification, creating uncertainty in cross-border flows of high-performance materials.

Decarbonizing Heavy Industry: Low-Carbon Steel, Cement & Composites

Industrial buyers are demanding low-embodied-carbon inputs to hit Scope 3 targets. SSAB’s HYBRIT initiative (with Vattenfall and LKAB) aims to bring fossil-free steel to market at scale around 2026, with pilot deliveries already demonstrated and customer MOU activity increasing. Each ton of steel swapped has an outsized impact on a product’s embodied carbon, making such materials high-leverage procurement choices.

In renewables, Siemens Gamesa’s RecyclableBlade—enabled by a new resin—targets end-of-life recovery for turbine blades, addressing a fast-growing waste stream while maintaining industrial performance. Partnerships like the 2024 LOI between Siemens Gamesa and Swancor for recyclable resins show how sustainability requirements are cascading into the chemical backbone of composites.

How will this Report Benefit you?

Visiongain’s 420-page report provides 127 tables and 208 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the smart & sustainable materials market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for smart & sustainable materials. Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including smart integration level, end-user, sustainability attribute, application, and material type, and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing smart & sustainable materials market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.

What are the Current Market Drivers?

Circular Chemistry Goes Industrial: Enzymatic Depolymerization of Plastics

Enzymatic PET recycling is moving from lab to plant. France-based Carbios has advanced an industrial project for the first PET biorecycling plant in France, building on brand-side collaborations (e.g., L’Oréal and interest from PepsiCo/Nestlé Waters/Suntory). The appeal is drop-in, virgin-quality monomers produced at lower temperatures than pyrolysis routes, with clearer mass-balance accounting.

As brands confront packaging regulations and recycled-content mandates, demand for high-quality rPET and r-polyester feedstock is rising. Materials vendors that co-develop grades compatible with enzymatic streams can lock in premium, specification-driven volumes—especially in personal care and beverages were optical clarity and safety matter most.

Electrification & Storage: Smart, Safer Battery Materials

Solid-state battery programs are accelerating, pulling through sulfide electrolytes and new separator chemistries. Toyota and Idemitsu have a program targeting commercialization in the 2027–2028 window, and Japan’s Idemitsu announced a lithium-sulfide plant to support solid-state supply chains by 2027. While timelines are fluid, the materials bill of a solid-state cell elevates specialty ceramics, glassy sulfides and interfacial coatings.

Concurrently, battery circularity is scaling; Northvolt’s Revolt has demonstrated cells using 100% recycled nickel, manganese and cobalt, and is building out industrial recycling throughput. These two currents—new chemistries and closed-loop metals—are increasing the “smart” quotient of the battery materials stack while anchoring sustainability credentials that OEMs can verify.

Where are the Market Opportunities?

Recyclable Composites & Blade-to-Blade Loops

Recycling-ready resins for wind blades and other composites can unlock new aftermarket business and reduce decommissioning liabilities. Siemens Gamesa’s RecyclableBlade demonstrates industrial-scale feasibility; Swancor’s 2024 LOI to supply recyclable resin underscores the supply-chain momentum behind thermoplastic or recyclable thermoset systems. Beyond wind, similar chemistries can flow into marine, aerospace interiors and mobility components where design-for-recovery is rising on OEM scorecards. Materials firms that pair resin innovation with proven disassembly/recovery processes will capture premium tenders.

Digital Product Passports as a Service Layer

DPPs create a data moat for materials vendors who can automate compliance and feed “living” product records to customers. Expect bundled offerings: material + QR/NFC tag + cloud record + EPD/LCA updates. Early movers can turn compliance into lock-in, especially on multi-year construction or infrastructure programs. This favors suppliers with strong IT partnerships (PLM, ERP, building management integration). Smart-glass providers, circular-polymer leaders and low-carbon metals producers can quantify benefits continuously, easing ESG reporting for downstream customers and winning repeat specs.

Competitive Landscape

The major players operating in the smart & sustainable materials market are 3M Company, BASF SE, Covestro AG, Dow Inc., DuPont de Nemours, Inc, Eastman Chemical Company, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, NatureWorks LLC, Novamont s.p.a, Novonesis, Redwood Materials, Stora Enso Oyj,, The Good Plastic Company, Trex Company Inc., von Holzhausen, These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, collaborations, investment in R&D, regional business expansion, partnerships, and new product launch.

Recent Developments

• 29-Sep-25, DuPont to acquire Sinochem (Ningbo) RO Memtech to expand FilmTec reverse osmosis (RO) manufacturing into China and Asia Pacific. Increases capacity for industrial water purification elements. New site in Zhejiang, China will be DuPont’s third RO plant (after USA & Saudi Arabia). Deal closes Q4 2025.
• 25-Sep-25, Henkel invests ~$30M to expand its Brandon, South Dakota flagship site, doubling its size to 70,000 sq ft. The site will focus on LOCTITE and BERGQUIST materials for EV and electronics industries.
• 22-Sep-25, Henkel opens the €60M Inspiration Center Shanghai for Adhesive Technologies. The 33,000 sqm site houses 500+ experts to accelerate sustainable solutions and customer collaboration in Asia-Pacific.
• 17-Sep-25, Toly and Eastman launched Gemini, the first compact made with Eastman’s Cristal One Renew IM812 resin, combining recycled and recyclable content with premium aesthetics for luxury cosmetics packaging.
• 04-Sep-25, Eastman and Doloop announced a partnership to produce a 100% recycled PET (rPET) beverage bottle, unveiled at Drinktec 2025, advancing circular economy goals in beverage packaging.

Notes for Editors

If you are interested in a more detailed overview of this report, please send an e-mail to contactus@visiongain.com or call +44 207 336 6100.

About Visiongain

Visiongain is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative independent media companies in Europe. Based in London, UK, Visiongain produces a host of business-to-business reports focusing on the automotive, aviation, chemicals, cyber, defence, energy, food & drink, materials, packaging, pharmaceutical and utilities sectors.

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