Book excerpt: Papers presented at the 2018 International Conference on High Performance and Optimum Design of Structures and Materials are contained in this volume. These papers address issues involving advanced types of structures, particularly those based on new concepts or new materials and their system design. The use of novel materials and new structural concepts nowadays is not restricted to highly technical areas like aerospace, aeronautical applications or the automotive industry, but affects all engineering fields including those such as civil engineering and architecture. Most high performance structures require the development of a generation of new materials, which can more easily resist a range of external stimuli or react in a non-conventional manner. Particular emphasis is placed on intelligent structures and materials as well as the application of computational methods for their modelling, control and management. Optimisation problems discussed in this book involve those related to size, shape and topology of structures and materials. Optimisation techniques have much to offer to those involved in the design of new industrial products. The development of new algorithms and the appearance of powerful commercial computer codes with easy to use graphical interfaces has created a fertile field for the incorporation of optimisation in the design process in all engineering disciplines. The latest developments in design, optimisation, manufacturing and experimentation are highlighted in this book.