Today technical systems have achieved such a high degree of complexity that further improvements can only be made by means of a multidisciplinary systems approach. Here the materials play a key role, as very often alone their availability is the decisive factor in the realization of the complete system. The investigation and development of new materials alone would only take us halfway. Nowadays manufacturability, availability and last but not least costs, are equally important when considering the technical usability and therefore also the commercial application and success of a material.