Against the fragmentation of knowledge. The power of multidisciplinary research for the design of metamaterials

The new possibilities arisen in the last years in material manufacturing (3D-printing, electrospinning, roll-to-roll processing, self-assembly, etc.) and the theoretical tools made available by generalized continuum mechanics are still far from achieving their full potential. The main thesis of the present paper is that it is necessary a multidisciplinary approach to address the emerging issues in meta- materials’ design. Therefore, an improvement in the degree and the depth of the cooperation between scientists from different areas is required. The advancements needed in mechanics and physics of solids and fluids, mathematical and numerical modeling and advanced technology in material construction can be obtained only as a consequence of a synergic effort.