From July 30 to August 2, 2021, the first World Conference on Nanotechnology and Materials (WCNM) was held in Kunming. Prof. Yidong Huang gave an opening speech and a plenary talk titled with “Metamaterial brings breakthroughs to optoelectronic devices”. The WCNM is hosted by the Institute of International Science and Technology Conferences and the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, South University of Science and Technology, and organized by Dalian Four-leafed Exhibition Company. It is co-sponsored by the Institute of Aerospace Crossover, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Electronic Engineering, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Laboratory of Lithium Battery Electronics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and School of Microelectronics, Xi 'an Jiaotong University. Nanotechnology and materials have developed rapidly over the past two decades, involving a wide range of disciplines and bringing breakthroughs and revolutions to many applications. The conference attracted nearly 200 participants from different disciplines to exchange research information and generate sparks of ideas around the frontiers of nanotechnology and materials.