vanguard

Noun

• the position of greatest importance or advancement; the leading position in any movement or field
  • the Cotswolds were once at the forefront of woollen manufacturing in England
    
  • the idea of motion was always to the forefront of his mind and central to his philosophy
    

• any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

• the leading units moving at the head of an army

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  forefront , cutting edge , avant-garde , van , new wave