Synthetic polymers are found in such a large variety of products that have shaped modern life. In the future, polymers will continue substituting other materials in established applications and will play a major role in the development of the technologies needed to address some of the 21st Century challenges such as energy, health care and sustainability. The Basque Center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering is devoted to use-inspired fundamental research on synthesis, assembly and processing of polymers that in concert with theory and simulation enable addressing to these challenges.