Essay: The German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT) has put together a new program of materials research and development support covering the period 1994-1999. The program, known as MaTech, sets priorities in, for example, information, energy, transport, and production technology, medical engineering, and new fields, providing over DM 800 m as a follow up to the successful Matfo program. The details and philosophy of the new program are presented.