The research program “Free-form Scattering Optics” enables high-tech optical devices that contribute to energy efficacy, climate change, internet-of-things, food and water quality and quantity, and security, in the interest of rendering the unstoppable worldwide urbanization sustainable. Currently, high-tech industry is developing a surge of novel devices that combine light scattering with free-formed optics, such as LED lighting, miniaturized satellites, metrology equipment for semiconductor industry and optically secured bank cards.