metaalsector

Metaalsector is a coined term used in various disciplines to refer to a sector associated with metals and related advanced materials. There is no single official definition, and the meaning depends on context.

In economic and industrial analysis, metaalsector often denotes the metals value chain, including mining, ore processing, smelting, refining, alloying, and fabrication, as well as downstream recycling and metallurgical services. Its boundaries may be drawn to exclude non-metallic sectors and to include specialty metal industries such as aluminum, steel, copper, titanium, and precious metals, as well as recycled metal streams.

In materials science and engineering, the term is sometimes applied to the meta-materials field—a class of artificially structured materials engineered to achieve properties not found in natural materials. In this sense, the metaalsector encompasses R&D, fabrication, testing, and commercial deployment of meta-materials and their components (for optics, acoustics, or mechanical metamaterials), including industry standards, supply chains, and regulatory considerations.

In fiction or theoretical discussions, metaalsector can denote a virtual or organizational sector within an economy, simulations, or game worlds, or a higher-level meta-sector that oversees multiple sub-sectors. Because usage varies, precise definitions should be clarified in each work.

See also: metals industry, metallurgy, mining, metal recycling, meta-materials.