The plastics industry expects a lot from advanced materials, but the relatively few that are commercially available cannot satis­fy all applications and expectations. In this context, nanostructured hybrid organic-inorganic glass thermoplastic materials potentially demonstrate all the benefits of traditional filled plastic composites and avoid their disadvantages (Fig. 1). Current attrib­utes of the materials should translate into improved energy efficiency and consequent cost savings, mak­ing the materials and production method widely appli­cable.