nano4m – Nanotechnology for Market
a transnational project, which involves 12 European partners from Tuscany (Italy), North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), Lorraine (France) and Asturias (Spain), has a three-year-duration. The project, funded by INTERREG IVC, began in October 2008 and now it is in its last phase.
Its total budget is € 1,845,892.00 with an ERDF contribution of € 1,384,419.00.
This European Project addresses to all the Regional and Local Institutions and the Research Centres involved in the partnership, which will easily access the information concerning the state and the methodology of nanotechnology development. It also addresses to policy-makers and Local, National, European stakeholders, Companies and their Associations, Universities, Research Centres, as well as private citizens.

Nano4m meeting in Münster (Germany)
In February 2011, the partners of Nano4m met for the 4th and last Seminar of the project.
The project is accomplishing its aim of improving the innovation strategies at the level of local governments, as well as research and technological centers and in the field of nanotechnology, creating a network for future cooperation, after the end of the project.
The focus of the Seminar was on the progress of Nano4m, the end of the Expert Groups’ works, the approval of the Guidelines for Research & Technology Centers, and the planning of the activities in 2011.
Partners had also the opportunity to visit some companies based in Münster, relevant for nanotechnology, such as the Clinical Center of the University, CeNTech, ION-TOF GmbH and Tascon GmbH; they were also received by the Mayor of the German city.

Expert groups' work
During the life of the Nano4m project, 4 Expert Groups - composed by experts from Nano4m Research &Technology Centers - were formed, in order to study in depth the following sectors: EG 1, Dental Implants (Health); EG 2, Biocidal Nanocarriers (Health); EG 3, Photovoltaics (Energy); EG 4, Transparent Armors (Security / Defense).
Expert Groups met for the first time in January 2010 in Gijón (Spain) and started to analyze the state of art of the key technologies of the 4 selected products, as well as to identify the barriers against the access of the products into the market. They then met in Empoli (Italy) and in Dortmund (Germany). The end of their works coincided with Nano4m 4th Seminar in Münster (Germany), in February 2011.
The leaders of the four expert groups reported on the progress of their work and its adherence to the needs of the market. Every group focused on product development, as well as on their industrialization, and commercialization. The objectives of the EGs' work on the 4 Case Studies are the creation of virtual process chains, after feasibility studies concerning the market opportunities of new products, identifying success and failure factors, for the Research to Market process in each region.
The work of the EGs also includes study visits, very useful in order to improve mutual collaboration and scientific exchanges.
In June 2010 an expert from Colorobbia (Empoli - Italy) made a trip to CeNTech in Münster (Germany), visiting the CeNTech building in detail and being explained the special structure of university research combined with nanotechnology companies and the framing economic structure responsible for the whole R&T Center. In December 2010 experts from Prodintec visited MST.factory in Dortmund, for an interesting exchange of ideas, while Cinn experts belonging to EG4 on Transparent Armor visited Colorobbia and its Research Center CeRiCol in Vinci (Italy), in March 2011, and attended the workshops of the Project Innodays - Nanoweek in Empoli, along with other researchers and experts.
People of Cinn also visited GeorgiaTech in Metz (France).
One CeNTech nanocarrier expert and EG2 member visited Colorobbia (Italy) at the end of March 2011, to learn more about upscaling processes for the production of nanoparticles.

Guidelines for Research & Technology Centers
The Guidelines are a key tool for defining market oriented strategic plans for Research & Technology Centers, aiming at providing introductory notions on most aspects that emerge when implementing a market-oriented strategy.
The final draft of the “Guidelines for Nanotechnology and Microtechnology Research and Technology Centres for improvement of market-oriented strategies” was approved during the meeting in Münster, in February 2011, and the final version was ready in June 2011. The main purpose of the Guide is to inspire RTC leadership into adopting best practices that have proven to work in peer RTCs that have become familiar with in Nano4m project. As a secondary purpose, these best practices and the context given in the Guide can also help a wider audience of RTC managers and leaders, that have an interest in practices that have proven their value.
The Guidelines have been developed by (and for) participating Research and Technology Centres which are all working in nano and microtechnology fields. For this reason, the Guidelines cover the peculiarities of these scientific / technological areas.
The Guidelines put in evidence some main aspects of a market-oriented RTC: valorisation and exploitation, human resources and interaction (or liaison) with the ecosystem. The outcomes will have direct links to centres, universities, industry, citizens, governments and - why not – investors.
The Guidelines can be downloaded at the following link:http://issuu.com/nano4m/docs/guidelinesfornanotechnology

“Think Tank” in Metz (France)
Experts and political representatives met in Metz (Lorraine – France) in June 2011 for a European round-table - called “Think Tank” - which focused on the development of guidelines for technology transfer, on the recommendations for the European Commission and public authorities for improving public policies, and on improving services and research centers.
The event was attended by representatives of local political and technical authorities of the Regions participants in the project, such as Christophe Choserot (Lorraine Regional Councillor - Delegate for Higher Education), Jean-Pierre Thomesse (DRRT Lorraine – Regional Delegate for Research and Technology), Albino Caporale (Regional Delegate Tuscan Region), Grazia Rossi (Circondario Empolese Valdelsa – CEV Project Manager), Claudia Keidies (City of Dortmund – Head Cluster Unit), Holger Winter (CeNTech GmbH – Representative of the City of Münster), Harald Cremer (NanoMicro+New Materials Cluster North Rhine - Westphalia Expert Land NRW), Cecilia Hernández (Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology – CDTI – Spanish public organization under the Ministry of Science and Innovation; Head of Biotechnology, Health and Agri-food Department). External guests were Arnaud Duban (expert in technology transfer and innovation support services for SMEs - Luxinnovation/Agency for Innovation in Luxembourg) and Pierre Bourgogne (expert in regional innovation policy).
It was an opportunity to compare ideas, and methodologies, on how to conceive more effective regional policies aimed at technology transfer. The results of the round-table will be summarized in the recommendations to be forwarded to the European Commission and to local public authorities, in order to improve public policies. After the “Think Tank”, the partners discussed about the first results of it, and the organization of the final conference in Asturias (Spain).

5th International Workshop on Mullite & Mullite-type Materials
One of Nano4m partners, CINN, organized the 5th International Workshop on Mullite & Mullite-type Materials, which took place at the Niemeyer Center in Avilés (Spain) in May 2011.
The previous mullite meeting was held in Vienna in 2006. In the meantime, there have been considerable progresses with respect to production, properties, and application of mullite ceramics, fibers, composites, and coatings. Advancement has also been made in the knowledge and understanding of the crystal chemistry, and structure-related properties of mullite. Not to forget, the basic, and applied work, related to other members of the family of mullite-type crystal structures. A further meeting on this topic was therefore necessary: another international mullite workshop, after those held in Tokyo, Irsee (Germany), Oban (United Kingdom), and Vienna.