TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The metal substrate is aluminum (preferred), magnesium, titanium, and/or their alloys. The corrosion-resistant coating comprises element(s) from Groups 4, 5, 10, or 11 including titanium (preferred), zirconium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, gold, platinum, and/or their alloys. The coating comprising element(s) comprises a compound from titanium nitride, and/or titanium suboxide (TiOx, where x is less than 2). The polymer-based coating comprises electrically conductive particles (134) from gold, platinum, nickel, tin, silver, palladium, and/or noble metals, preferably graphite or carbon black. The graphite is expanded graphite, graphite powder, and/or graphite flakes. Preferred Composition: The total amount of graphite and carbon is less than 40 wt.%. Preferred Dimension: The corrosion-resistant coating comprising element(s) has a thickness of 0.1-50, preferably 0.5-5 microns. Preferred Method: The removing is conducted in a vacuum or by plasma etching. Depositing the coating comprising element(s) is conducted by ion-assisted physical vapor deposition.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The metal substrate is aluminum (preferred), magnesium, titanium, and/or their alloys. The corrosion-resistant coating comprises element(s) from Groups 4, 5, 10, or 11 including titanium (preferred), zirconium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, gold, platinum, and/or their alloys. The coating comprising element(s) comprises a compound from titanium nitride, and/or titanium suboxide (TiOx, where x is less than 2). The polymer-based coating comprises electrically conductive particles (134) from gold, platinum, nickel, tin, silver, palladium, and/or noble metals, preferably graphite or carbon black. The graphite is expanded graphite, graphite powder, and/or graphite flakes. Preferred Composition: The total amount of graphite and carbon is less than 40 wt.%. Preferred Dimension: The corrosion-resistant coating comprising element(s) has a thickness of 0.1-50, preferably 0.5-5 microns. Preferred Method: The removing is conducted in a vacuum or by plasma etching. Depositing the coating comprising element(s) is conducted by ion-assisted physical vapor deposition.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Component: The polymer-based coating comprises a polymeric binder from polyvinyl esters, polyamide-imides, polyimides, polyether-imides, epoxies, silicones, polyphenols, fluoro-elastomers (e.g., polyvinylidene fluoride), polyesters, phenoxy-phenolics, epoxide-phenolics, acrylics, and/or urethanes. Preferred Property: The polymer-based coating has a contact resistance of less than 50, preferably less than 25 mOmega-m2 under a compressive force of greater than or equal to50 psi. Preferred Method: The polymer-based coating is applied by coating, brushing, spraying, spreading, dipping, rolling, laminating, or powder coating.