In the last 12 years the field of hyperbranched polymers has been well established with a large variety of synthetic approaches and fundamental studies on structure and properties of these unique materials. However, new developments involving hyperbranched materials appeared recently, for example, different synthetic strategies, new reaction mechanisms, formation of more complex architectures, a deeper understanding of the branched structure and their kinetic development, and intensive studies on the material properties and possible applications. This demonstrates the high versatility and the possibilities that are still involved in hyperbranched polymers and render it one of the most active fields in polymer science with a very promising future. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.