Applying the investment methodology for materials (IMM) to aluminium foams

A methodology for assessing the commercial potential and thus, the business case, for a materials innovation was presented in a companion paper (Maine and Ashby, ‘An investment methodology for materials’ Mater Design, 2002). The investment methodology for materials (IMM) is here applied to a recent innovation — that of metal foams. Several processes for making foamed aluminium are now in the process of scale-up for large scale production, although none, at this point in time, have found a viable commercial application. Here one class of application — that of energy absorption in automotive design — is explored in depth, examining technical viability, market structure and the probability of value capture, illustrating IMM in operation. The method helps direct R&D programs, informs business decision-making and guides investment policy-making.