TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Components: The biopolymer is heparin, hyaluronan, chondroitin sulfate, keratin sulfate, alginate, chitosan, fibrin, oligonucleotides, DNA, RNA, silk like polymer with fibronectin fragments, glycoproteins including collagen, laminin, fibronectin, vitronectin and fibrinogen and their peptides which may contain the sequences Arg-Gly-Asp, Ser-Ile-Lys-Val-Ala-Val, Tyr-Ile-Gly-Ser-Arg, Tyr-Phe-Gln-Arg-Tyr-Leu-Ile, Pro-Asp-Ser-Gly-Arg, Arg-Asn-lle-Ala-Glu-lle-lle-Lys-Asp-Ala, Asp-Gly-Glu-Ala or Trp-Gln-Pro-Pro-Arg-Ala-Arg-Ile, poly(amino acids) and/or silk proteins.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - PHARMACEUTICALS - Preferred Components: The polymeric material further comprises biologically active substance distributed within the hydrogel, where the biologically active substance is neurotrophins, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and/or small interfering RNA. Preferred Method: The method further comprises exposing the hydrogel to a biologically active substance, where the biologically active substance is incorporated into the polymeric material.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The hydrogel comprises polymer constituent having covalently bound anionic species, where the anionic species is dopants for the conductive polymer. The covalently bound anionic species are in the backbone of the polymer constituent. The polymer constituent is modified: to include the covalently bound anionic species; and by grafting an anionic side chain onto the polymer constituent. The hydrogel comprises: at least two polymer constituents; at least one polymer constituent that is biopolymer or synthetic polymer; heparin cross-linked with polyvinyl alcohol; and polymeric material (10-30 wt.%), where the polymeric material has a Young's modulus of 1 kPa to 10 MPa. The synthetic polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, poly(acrylic acid) and its derivatives, poly(ethylene oxide) and its copolymers, polyphosphazene, silicones, polyacrylamides, polyvinylpyrrolidones, poly-hydroxy ethylmethacrylate and/or poly(styrene sulfonate). The conductive polymer is polypyrrole, polythiophene, phenyl mercaptan, polyaniline, polyindole, polycarbazole and their derivatives and/or copolymers, preferably poly(ethylene dioxythiopene), poly(hydroxymethyl-3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene), poly(3-alklythiophene), polypyrrole and/or polyaniline(emeraldine base). The conductive polymer and the hydrogel are present in the polymeric material at a ratio of 0.2:1-1:0.2. Preferred Method: The hydrogel is exposed to the polymer subunits capable of forming the conductive polymer by forming the hydrogel in a solution comprising the polymer subunits. The hydrogel is exposed to the polymer subunits capable of forming the conductive polymer by contacting the hydrogel in a solution comprising the polymer subunits. The hydrogel is formed on a conductive substrate and the polymer subunits capable of forming the conductive polymer are polymerized by applying an electrical current through the hydrogel. In the method, conductive polymer is synthesized chemically or synthesized by oxidative coupling. The conductive polymer is electrodeposited onto the conductive substrate. The pre-coating of a conductive polymer is electrodeposited on the conductive substrate before the hydrogel is formed. The polymer subunits capable of forming the conductive polymer are polymerized by applying an electrical current of 0.1-1 mA/cm2 for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The polymer subunits capable of forming the conductive polymer are caused to slowly polymerize. EXAMPLE - Typical polymeric material comprised of: conductive polymer solutions comprising water (0.5 ml), acetonitrile (0.5 ml), 3,4-ethylenedioxylthiophene (0.1 M) and p-toluene sulfonic acid (0.05 M); and hydrogel solutions comprising poly(vinyl alcohol) (0.18 g), heparin-methacrylate (0.02 g), water (0.7 g) and initiator (0.1 g).