The field of laser ultrasonics encompasses fundamental research on laser–matter interactions, as well as applications of opto-acoustic and acousto-optic phenomena in industry and biomedicine. Laser ultrasonics is a promising technique for the evaluation of novel materials and elastic/mechanical structures across spatial dimensions that have been realized through recent advances in materials science. New applications of laser ultrasonics in industrial applications continue to emerge as advanced manufacturing techniques are developed. The progress in laser science and development of new lasers, as well as advances in instrumentation and signal processing approaches, have broadened the reach of laser ultrasonics to include studies of ultrafast, nanoscale, and nonlinear phenomena, optical and acoustic interactions in complex and/or light-sensitive materials, and photoacoustic processes in biological media.