Material reserves are an important material foundation for national governance and a strategic force in ensuring national security. This paper reviews the development process of national material reserves since the founding of new China, highlighting the achievements in reserve systems, management mechanisms, variety and scale structure, warehouse facilities, and macroeconomic regulation. Based on this foundation, it analyzes the opportunities and challenges in the development of material reserves, and proposes the recommendations for strengthening research scientific and technological innovation. These recommendations focused on fundamental theories of material reserves, key basic technologies, applications of key technologies, applications of cutting-edge technologies and the development of intelligent reserves, which aim to provide a reference for the national implementation of the strategy of advancing material reserves through science and technology, the improvement of the material reserves system, and the establishment of a robust national reserve capacity.