The SMST Conferences focus on real-world issues and applications of shape memory materials. This expanded special issue of the Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance features more than 60 peer-reviewed and edited contributions based on papers presented at SMST-2008, which was held September 21-25, 2008 in Stresa, Italy. Applications covered range from medical devices to engineering applications such as actuators. The volume, edited by Ausonio Tuissi, Michael Mitchell, and Joe San Juan, is an excellent reference on the latest technical advances, industrial applications, and current state-of-the-art in shape memory and superelastic technologies.