European network for unified nanomaterials research

(Nanowerk News) EU-funded scientists joined together to form a broad collaboration in nanomaterials research. The consortium sought to include European Member States and Candidate and potential Candidate Countries to develop a unified European Research Area (ERA).
The European Union was created by the European Community in 1993 with the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. The union is an economical and political one that has important implications for research and technology development (RTD) regarding distribution of funding, international cooperation and policymaking.
The EU currently has 27 Member States including Newly Independent States (NISs) of the former Soviet Union. Candidate Countries are those which are currently being evaluated for meeting the necessary criteria to become full members of the EU. Candidate and potential Candidate Countries from south-east Europe and other regions are eligible to receive EU research funding.
European scientists initiated the ‘Network for nanostructured materials of ACC’ (Nenamat) project to organise a collaboration among 10 Associated Candidate Countries (ACCs) in the field of nanomaterials.
The consortium also sought to extend the collaboration beyond the ACCs to include Member States and others in order to strengthen the ERA in nanomaterials.
Among the numerous objectives of this collaboration were sharing research infrastructure, monitoring common interests, improving education and skills development in the field, and producing a research roadmap.
Nenamat project activities led to establishment of two subgroups with representation from the core project group. The first embraced to a large degree theoretical physics related to nanotechnology and was active in organising workshops and summer schools. The second was related to new materials and technologies development with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Continued partnership among EU Candidate Countries and potential candidates together with EU Member States should enable the EU to exploit the amazing human capital present in such a culturally and technologically diverse landscape.
Source: Cordis