Book excerpt: 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. Formed of research works presented at the 10th International Conference on High Performance and Optimum Design of Structures and Materials, the included papers cover issues involving advanced types of structures, particularly those based on new concepts or new materials and their system design. Contributions highlight the latest developments in design, optimisation, manufacturing and experimentation. There is also a focus on the search for higher performance sustainable materials. 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 are also covered, including those related to the 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.