Materials development, selection and characterization
Turning technical uncertainty into a clear path forward
01Fields
Fields I work across
The same scientific judgment, applied to different kinds of R&D problems
Electronic materials, device physics, and how material properties shape device performance
Energy materials and technologies
Chemical and consumer-product formulations
Technical modeling and simulation as part of the analysis
Feasibility studies, with literature and evidence assessment
02Services
Three ways to work together
Flagship
Custom Scientific R&D Consulting
Flexible, project-specific scientific support for complex R&D, product, materials or technology challenges
- Format
- Project phase, hourly, or monthly retainer
- Timeframe
- Flexible, from several weeks to several months depending on the scope
- Fee
- Scoped per projectAfter a free discovery call
Good fit when
- A problem with no clear development path yet
- Specialist expertise your team lacks
- Unexpected results, failures or competing explanations
- An evolving product that needs continuing scientific input
What you receive
- Technical assessments, recommendations and reports
- R&D plans, roadmaps, and experimental or testing plans
- Materials or formulation recommendations
- Literature analysis, modeling and data interpretation
- Coordination with laboratories and suppliers
Not the right fit if
- Routine execution with no scientific judgment
- Laboratory work at my own facility
- A guaranteed outcome before research and testing are complete
If you already know exactly which defined deliverable you need, one of the fixed-scope services may suit you better
More detail
How it works
The engagement begins with a discovery consultation to understand your objectives, development stage, technical challenges, available data and resources, and the expertise required. From that assessment we define the scope and the engagement structure
My role may include scientific research and analysis, technical problem-solving, materials or formulation development, experimental planning, modeling and simulation, interpretation of testing or characterization results, technical recommendations, and coordination with laboratories, suppliers or other technical team members
Who it is for
Startups, SMEs, technology companies, product development teams and industrial R&D organizations. Founders, R&D leaders, technical directors, and scientific or engineering teams that need independent scientific expertise for an ongoing or evolving technical challenge
Particularly suitable when the specialist expertise is not available internally, when you need additional scientific R&D capacity, or when you want an independent perspective alongside your existing team
Industries
- Materials and advanced materials
- Chemicals and formulated products
- Electronics and electronic materials
- Energy technologies
- Consumer and industrial products involving materials or chemical R&D
- Manufacturing and product development
- Research-driven technology startups
What stage you should be at
You may be at an early concept stage, developing a product or technology, troubleshooting a prototype or product, evaluating alternative materials or approaches, preparing for testing or scale-up, or progressing through an established R&D program
You do not need to know the exact technical solution or scope before booking. A clear objective, technical challenge or development need is enough for the discovery consultation
Engagement terms
- Structure
- A defined project phase, hourly consulting, or a monthly retainer
- Duration
- Several weeks for a defined phase. Ongoing or retained support can run for several months or longer
- Fee
- Scoped per project. Set after the discovery call: a fixed fee per phase, an agreed hourly rate, or a monthly retainer
- Discovery call
- Free
- Availability
- New projects are accepted selectively, based on capacity and technical fit
Rescheduling and cancellation
Discovery meetings may be rescheduled with reasonable advance notice
Cancellation, suspension, rescheduling and termination terms for an active engagement are defined in the proposal, statement of work or consulting agreement
Fixed scope
Scientific Formulation Development
Translates defined product requirements into a practical, scientifically justified formulation
- Format
- An initial formulation and up to two revisions
- Timeframe
- About 3 to 6 weeks
- Fee
- USD 2,500
Good fit when
- A defined concept that needs a practical formulation
- An existing formulation that misses its performance targets
- Test results that need translating into formulation changes
- A procedure your lab or manufacturer can follow
What you receive
- A product requirements summary
- An initial formulation with ingredients, concentrations and ratios
- A preparation or manufacturing procedure
- The technical rationale and recommended test criteria
- Review of your test results and a final updated formulation
Not the right fit if
- Laboratory or manufacturing work done by me
- No access yet to lab, manufacturing or testing capability
- Sourcing or coordinating labs, manufacturers or suppliers
- Open-ended R&D beyond one formulation cycle
These projects may be better suited to Custom Scientific R&D Consulting
More detail
How it works
For companies and startups that already have a clearly defined product or material concept, its intended application and the main performance objectives. You do not need to know how the formulation should be designed, or which ingredients, materials, concentrations or technical approach to use
I establish the detailed technical requirements and constraints, research and evaluate the formulation system, and develop an initial formulation with a recommended preparation, processing or manufacturing procedure. You prepare and test it with your own facilities or partner, and I review the results
The service covers chemical and materials-based formulations, including formulated chemical products, coatings, polymer and composite systems, and functional materials
Who it is for
Startups, SMEs, product developers, manufacturers, founders and R&D teams with a defined product, material or performance objective
Particularly suitable when you already have the laboratory, manufacturing and testing capabilities to prepare and evaluate prototypes, and need specialist scientific support to design, analyze and optimize the formulation
Product categories
- Specialty chemicals
- Advanced and energy materials
- Cleaning and surface-care products
- Personal care and cosmetic products
- Coatings
- Polymers and composites
- Adhesives
- Functional materials
- Household and consumer products
- Industrial formulated products
What stage you should be at
You should have a reasonably defined product or material concept, intended application and performance requirements, for a new formulation or for improving an existing one
You must already have access to the laboratory, manufacturing or testing capabilities needed to prepare and evaluate the formulations, internally or through an existing partner
Engagement terms
- Structure
- An initial formulation plus up to two optimization iterations, for up to three formulation versions
- Duration
- About 3 to 6 weeks, depending on complexity and on how long preparation and testing take on your side
- Fee
- USD 2,500
- Discovery call
- Free
- Not included
- Laboratory testing, prototype manufacturing, raw materials, third-party costs, supplier or laboratory sourcing, and external project coordination
- Availability
- New projects are accepted selectively, based on R&D capacity and technical fit
Rescheduling and cancellation
Initial meetings may be rescheduled with reasonable advance notice
Once a project has been approved and started, cancellation, suspension, payment and rescheduling terms follow the agreed proposal or consulting agreement
Delays from client-side testing, laboratory schedules, manufacturing or material availability may extend the timeline but do not change the agreed scope
Fixed scope
Scientific Advisory Consultation
A focused review and consultation on a defined scientific or technical question
- Format
- One consultation of up to 90 minutes, plus two follow-ups
- Timeframe
- Normally 1 to 2 weeks
- Fee
- USD 500
Good fit when
- A question that crosses disciplines
- Results that may not support your conclusions
- A research approach to check before committing more time
- A manuscript that needs scientific feedback
What you receive
- Advance review of your materials
- One focused consultation of up to 90 minutes
- An independent assessment and recommendations
- Up to two follow-ups within the original scope
Not the right fit if
- Laboratory testing or experiments done by me
- Managing or running a broader R&D program
- Guaranteed research or publication outcomes
- Proofreading, language editing or ghostwriting
Work that needs continuing scientific involvement may be better suited to Custom Scientific R&D Consulting
More detail
How it works
For situations where you already have a research problem, technical approach, experimental work, data, scientific argument or publication in development, and need specialist input to evaluate the reasoning, identify weaknesses or gaps, interpret the evidence, compare possible directions and think through next steps
You send a concise description of the problem and the relevant materials. I review them, then we work through the question in a focused advisory session with independent analysis, questions, recommendations and alternative interpretations where appropriate
For manuscripts, this is scientific advisory support on reasoning, interpretation, structure and completeness. It is not proofreading, language editing, ghostwriting or manuscript preparation
Who it is for
Researchers, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, scientists, engineers, technical professionals, startups and interdisciplinary R&D teams with a defined scientific or technical question
Particularly useful when the work crosses disciplinary boundaries, when specialist expertise is not available in your immediate team, or when you want an external assessment of your reasoning, results, research direction or publication
Fields
- Materials science and engineering
- Chemistry and chemical engineering
- Polymers and composites
- Electronic materials and device physics research
- Energy materials and technologies
- Formulated products
- Applied physics, where relevant to my expertise
What stage you should be at
You should already have a defined scientific or technical question and enough existing information for a meaningful discussion: an established research idea, experimental approach, preliminary or completed results, technical analysis, research argument or manuscript in development
The service fits best when you need an independent assessment of existing work or a defined decision, not someone to develop or manage the complete research or R&D program
Engagement terms
- Structure
- Advance review of your materials, one consultation of up to 90 minutes, and up to two follow-up reviews or consultations within the original scope
- Duration
- Normally 1 to 2 weeks. Follow-ups should be completed within 30 days of the first consultation
- Fee
- USD 500
- Discovery call
- Free, 30 minutes
- Availability
- Up to 2 new engagements per week, depending on the amount and complexity of material to review
Rescheduling and cancellation
Consultations may be rescheduled with at least 24 hours' notice
Once advance review of your submitted materials has begun, the engagement is considered started and the fee is non-refundable
Follow-up consultations must relate to the originally agreed question and should normally be completed within 30 days of the initial consultation
03Approach
What's my approach in R&D
Sometimes that means going deep into the science. Sometimes it means finding the question, analysis or experiment that moves the work forward
- 01Understand the problem well enough to identify what matters
- 02Distinguish what the evidence supports from what remains uncertain
- 03Determine what should happen next
04About
Who you're working with
I am Ilias Ait Tayeb, a Scientific R&D Consultant. I work with companies, research teams and individual researchers on technically complex problems
- Doctorate
- PhD in Materials Engineering
- Disciplines
- Materials science, chemical engineering, electronic materials and device physics
- Practice
- Founder, Nexa Research and Development FZ-LLC, United Arab Emirates
05Process
How an engagement starts
Send a short brief
Your product or question, your goal, and what has been done so far
First conversation
We check objective, stage, evidence, technical and service fit
Scope and terms
Custom work gets its own scope and fee. Fixed-scope services start on their published terms
Work in agreed phases
Objectives and deliverables are set per phase and updated as results come in
06Testimonials
What clients say
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06Questions
Common questions
Pick a service to see the questions people ask about it
What if I know the problem or objective, but not exactly what scientific work I need?
That is what the discovery process is designed for. We begin by understanding your objective, current development stage, available evidence, technical constraints and existing capabilities, then determine the most appropriate scope and engagement structure
Can you work with our existing R&D, engineering, laboratory or product development team?
Yes. I can work alongside existing internal or external teams by providing specialist scientific expertise, independent analysis, technical recommendations and support for relevant R&D decisions
Do you perform laboratory testing directly?
My consulting work is primarily focused on scientific research and analysis, technical development, modeling, interpretation and R&D decision support. Where laboratory testing is required, I can work with results generated by your internal team or an external laboratory and, where appropriate, help define testing requirements and communicate technical needs
How is the project priced?
Pricing is determined after the initial discovery process. Depending on the project, the engagement may use a fixed project or phase fee, an hourly consulting structure, or monthly retained R&D support
Can you support a project over multiple development stages?
Yes. Longer R&D engagements can continue across multiple stages when ongoing scientific support is required. Each stage or continuing engagement is structured around agreed objectives, scope, capacity and commercial terms
Do you manufacture or laboratory-test the formulation yourself?
No. I develop the formulation, the technical rationale, and the recommended preparation or manufacturing procedure. Prototype preparation and testing are carried out by your internal team or an existing external laboratory or manufacturing partner
Can you develop materials-based formulations as well as chemical products?
Yes. Depending on the project and technical fit, the service can cover both chemical and materials-based formulation development, including coatings, polymers, composites, functional materials and other formulated products within my scientific expertise
What happens if the first formulation does not meet all of the performance targets?
Formulation development is an iterative R&D process. Testing results are reviewed scientifically and used to refine the formulation through the optimization iterations included in the agreed scope
Can you improve an existing formulation instead of developing one from the beginning?
Yes. The service can begin from an existing formulation when there is a sufficiently defined performance problem or development objective. The existing system and available testing results are evaluated to determine appropriate modifications and optimization strategies
What if I do not have a laboratory or manufacturing partner?
This fixed-scope service assumes that you already have access to the facilities or external partners required to prepare and test the formulation. If you also need support identifying, selecting or coordinating laboratories, manufacturers or suppliers, or a broader R&D development process, the project may be better suited to Custom Scientific R&D Consulting
What kinds of scientific problems can I bring to this consultation?
Defined questions involving materials science and engineering, chemistry and chemical engineering, polymers and composites, electronic materials and related device physics research, energy materials, formulated products, applied physics where relevant to my expertise, and interdisciplinary problems involving these areas. Technical fit is assessed before the engagement is accepted
Do I need to have completed my research before booking?
No. You may be working with an existing research approach, experimental plan, preliminary or completed results, technical analysis, or a manuscript in development. There should already be a defined scientific or technical question and enough existing information for a meaningful assessment
Can you review my manuscript?
Yes, where the purpose is to assess the scientific reasoning, interpretation, evidence, structure or completeness of the work. The service does not include proofreading, language editing, formatting, ghostwriting or preparation of the manuscript on your behalf
Will you tell me exactly what experiments or next steps I should take?
Where appropriate, I may identify scientific gaps, discuss possible approaches and recommend next steps based on the available evidence. The consultation provides independent scientific judgment and recommendations, not management or execution of the complete research program
Does the consultation guarantee that my experiment will work or my manuscript will be published?
No. Scientific research inherently involves uncertainty, and publication decisions are made independently by journals and reviewers. The service provides an independent scientific assessment intended to strengthen your reasoning and support better-informed research or technical decisions
07Next step
Request a discovery call
Four short steps. Answer what you can and skip the rest
- The discovery call is free for all services
- Fixed-scope services have a published fee and timeline
- New projects are accepted selectively, based on capacity and technical fit