<p>The review is devoted to one of the most popular polysaccharides at present, namely, chitosan and new composite materials with chitosan as one of the components. The main methods of chitosan fabrication, as well as the factors affecting the characteristics and properties of this polysaccharide are considered. The leading areas of chitosan application and the directions for the design of new composite materials based on this biopolymer are highlighted. The primary applications relate to medical materials and food biotechnology, where the unique structure of chitosan allows the creation of functional polymeric materials with predictable properties. The most demanded materials are scaffolds based on chitosan with various additives, biocompatible non-woven fibrous materials for bioengineering, and food packaging films with antibacterial properties.</p>