Whereas in the past the R&D focus of academia and industry was on the development of the AM processes, today’s emphasis is also placed on the materials used. Very obvious, a major challenge associated with additive manufacturing of high performance, high value products is reflected in the fact, that AM processes not only create complex-shaped parts but generate the material at the same time. Thus, for all classes of materials used in AM, the interaction between materials and processing requires a deep understanding in order to control microstructure, avoid defects and distortion, enable functionalization and finally deliver high quality products beyond current standards. In this year’s Materials Week 2021 topic »Additive manufacturing - innovative materials«, worldwide leading experts will shed light on the often unrecognized yet paramount importance of materials for additive manufacturing.